AIKEN, S.C. (August 7, 2023) — A recent cybersecurity graduate from South Carolina’s only historically black technical college thrives in his new role with Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Denmark Technical College (DTC) graduate Chance Finklin is making strides in his career by interning with SRMC’s Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Business Systems.
Finklin knew he wanted to pursue cybersecurity after he took his first technology class in grade school. He said that his teacher sparked an interest in him.
“Mr. Thurmond inspired me to look deeper into cybersecurity as a career path, and I instantly fell in love with it,” said Finklin.
At DTC, he loved his classes, and he was involved in leadership roles and student organizations at DTC that solidified his career path.
“I was very involved during college,” said Finklin. “I would mentor my peers from my cybersecurity classes, played basketball, and led Ideathon, an organization that allowed us to share ideas and compete against other historically black colleges and universities.”
In his six-month internship with SRMC, Finklin has participated in equipment inventory for information technology (IT) for preparation and shipment to the corporate headquarters, tested network jacks for proper connectivity throughout the building, assisted in the decommissioning excess equipment for disposal, and other tasks.
Finklin is grateful for and has benefitted tremendously from a supportive group of mentors during his transition from school to the workplace. He is excited to be using the skills he learned at DTC and applying them at SRMC.
SRMC employee Allison Miller, Finklin’s mentor, said that Chance has been a tremendous asset to the team.
“We have had to close out some projects and Chance has been able to rise to the occasion and catch on quickly to the tasks he has assisted us in completing,” said Miller. “Chance has a magnetic personality to boot, and it has been a delight working with him.”
In the future, Finklin wants to continue to pursue cybersecurity and potentially explore the broader field of information technology as well.
Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) intern Chance Finklin is working with business systems utilizing his cybersecurity degree during a six-month internship.
SRMC comprises parent company BWX Technologies, Inc. with partners Amentum and Fluor. Its team brings the capabilities necessary to accelerate cleanup at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site through safe nuclear operations, optimized and integrated mission execution, and strong corporate governance.