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When Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie asked Savion Pollard for a copy of his resume at a dinner for veterans students, Pollard didn’t realize the request would lead him to become the first intern for Micron’s new CNY semiconductor manufacturing plant.

“Later on that night, I had an email from the senior recruiter for North America with Micron and he was saying, ‘Hey, I saw your resume and we want to have a conversation,’” Pollard said. “Four days after that email, I had an interview, and then a week after that I was signing my offer letter.”

The new plant, which the company announced in October, is set to be built in Clay, New York, about 15 miles north of Syracuse. The plant is projected to bring around 9,000 jobs with Micron directly, as well as another 50,000 jobs to the surrounding central New York area. Pollard, a veteran as well as a second-year electrical engineering and computer science student at Syracuse University, said the internship opportunity feels “unreal” and that he hopes to not only develop his own career, but also give back to others through his role.

Pollard, who is originally from Queens, New York, said his interest in electrical engineering started when he took an aptitude test upon joining the United States Navy at age 21. Pollard attended college before enlisting and didn’t finish his degree, but after eight years in the Navy, he said his experience guided his decision to enroll in SU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“When I (transitioned) out of the military, I was just thinking about what experience I had, and that was what I had been doing for the last eight years, so I just decided to go with electrical engineering,” Pollard said.

Pollard was also drawn to SU’s veterans resources and programs, which he said led him to the Micron internship. He emphasized the value of being able to meet other veteran students through the Student Veteran Organization at SU, where he now serves as treasurer.

“From meeting them in the very beginning, and just all the support that they showed from the get-go, was really encouraging and really made me confident in my decision to choose Syracuse,” Pollard said.

Before Micron recruited him, Pollard worked as a summer intern in project management for Michels Power, an international utilities and construction contractor, which has a branch in Syracuse.

When he officially received the internship position, Pollard said it felt “unreal.”

“I feel really blessed to be in this situation,” he said. “I’m really excited to be working with Micron.”

Pollard entered the Navy when he was 21-years-old. He left and went back to school at Syracuse University eight years later. Courtesy of Savion Pollard

Pollard said he hopes to use his internship with Micron to be a role model. Since April, he’s been a volunteer with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Onondaga County, a non-profit that facilitates mentor relationships between adults and children.

Latasha Wilson, senior manager of BBBS in Syracuse, said Pollard stood out to her team, which led them to assign him as a “big brother” mentor to two “little brothers,” twins Kenorie and Kenare. Pollard was originally set to be a mentor to one of the brothers, but when the other’s separate BBBS mentor left his volunteering role, Wilson said Pollard stepped up.

“Savion has been with us for a short amount of time, but he’s been an astronomical asset to the brothers,” Wilson said. “(He’s) basically compelled us to allow him to be big brother for both brothers.”

She said that even though Pollard has a lot on his plate, he recognized the need for mentorship and made time to help others.

“It’s really important for these kids to have that guidance in their life and have someone that they can rely on and someone that they can look up to and be a model for them,” Pollard said.

Pollard also regularly tells people he meets about BBBS and encourages them to get involved, especially because of the shortage of mentors in the Syracuse area, Wilson said.

“He’s referred people to me, and he’s still advocating for other people, especially men of color, to get involved because that’s something that we’re lacking in this program,” Wilson said.

With construction for the Clay plant not set to begin until 2024, Pollard’s work with Micron will start this summer on-site in Manassas, Virginia, where he said he’ll work as an equipment engineer.

As he prepares to begin his internship, Pollard said he hopes he can help other SU students to make use of available resources and get comfortable asking for help.

“Some people sell themselves short, and I did for a long time,” Pollard said. “Now, I’m kind of just breaking out of that and figuring out what’s possible for myself, so I just want to be that model for other people to just try things and figure out what’s possible for them.”

Published on December 6, 2022 at 12:10 am

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu