Part of being a high school student means preparing for life beyond the classroom. In addition to mastering the fundamentals of academic subjects, they observe and learn how to approach real-life scenarios that their parents and faculty face, such as interviewing for jobs, taking on additional roles and responsibilities, or managing bills. To share his own experiences and offer advice, Nic Hindle ’04, president of HindlePower, will join students on Tuesday, April 15, to engage with them on the topic of the United States’ electric utility system to help students better understand how daily utilities work.

After reminiscing on his days as a student atop the hilltop, he plans to dig deeper into the often undervalued system that is the U.S. electric utility system, aiming to help students understand what utilities really are and the critical role they play in our daily lives. He will also uncover relevant material such as how current trends such as AI, mass migrations, renewables and EV’s impact the grid.

“I hope participants see how interesting and complex our electric system is and are perhaps inspired to pursue an education path toward the energy or manufacturing industry,” shared Mr. Hindle in a pre-event interview. 

After graduating from Blair in 2004, Mr. Hindle went on to earn a bachelors of arts in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island. It was during his junior year in college, while navigating the challenges of early adulthood, when the now Pennsylvanian took an interest in renewable energy.

“My initial interest while a college student was what ultimately propelled me to get my first job within the solar industry. I designed rooftop solar for Kohl’s, Walgreens and Whole Foods. Eventually, after five years of solar, I joined my family company as a mechanical engineer.” 

Looking back on his experience now, he would tell students to “identify your strengths and continue to strengthen them. Eventually, you’ll connect your talents to a career.”

Click "play" below to watch Mr. Hindle's Skeptics presentation.

History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.