Wired For Success: How an REC Scholarship Sparked a Teen's Career
At just 19 years old, Kemp Davis has already found his calling — climbing poles, restoring power and serving families in the same community he proudly calls home. A recent graduate of the Power Line Worker Program offered by Southside Virginia Community College, Davis now works as an apprentice lineman with REC, the company that helped make his journey possible.
His path to becoming a lineman wasn’t always clear. His family runs a bricklaying business, and he worked alongside his father and two older brothers. Leaving the family trade to attend lineworker school was a leap of faith — but one supported by REC, which awarded him a scholarship to help cover the costs of the 77-day program.
When I found out I got the scholarship, it gave me hope,” Davis said. “It helped me bear down on my work. I knew someone had my back.”
Lineworker school was no walk in the park. “You show up and it’s like an army base, barracks, a circle of poles — it can feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
But Davis dug in. Day after day, he focused on improving his skills, and his hard work paid off. He graduated at the top of his 27-person class and earned the Climbing Higher Award. Just days after graduating in April 2025, Davis reported to work at REC.
“I had a couple of days off, but then I was back at it,” he said. “The first day was hectic, but my crew took me under their wing.”
His foreman, Randy Wright, has been a mentor. “He’s doing great,” Wright said after Davis’ first few weeks on the job. “As far as him retaining information and learning, the REC scholarship and his schooling set him in the right direction to become a good lineman and a valuable employee.” “I couldn’t have done it without my crew,” Davis said. “There’s a real brotherhood here. Everyone has each other’s back.” After growing up working shoulder-to-shoulder with his real brothers laying bricks, Davis said it feels natural to now have an additional set of brothers on the line crew, all looking out for one another.
“You’re not just going to work. You’re helping your community,” he said. “You’re turning the lights back on.” Davis hopes to keep climbing the ranks, one pole at a time. “Right now, I’m an apprentice — the lowest spot. But one day, I want to be a lineman. That’s the goal.”
For anyone considering a similar path, Davis has simple advice: “Go and do it. You might be nervous, but just try. Work hard. Listen. Learn. And love it — because you’ve got to love this job.” “REC believed in me,” he says. “They didn’t just give me a scholarship — they gave me a future.”
