How ExxonMobil’s workforce pipeline launches future STEM leaders
Sponsored by ExxonMobil Baton Rouge
Each summer, a select group of high school students steps inside ExxonMobil Baton Rouge’s facilities and into the future of STEM. Through ExxonMobil’s High School Internship Program, students don’t just observe the workplace; they become part of it, gaining hands-on experience, mentorship and exposure to real-world careers in engineering, technology and industrial operations.
Now in its fifth year, the program has grown from six interns in 2021 to 36 students in 2025, selected from a pool of more than 600 applicants across East and West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston and surrounding parishes. Participants are high school juniors, seniors and recent graduates interested in everything from mechanical engineering to instrumentation and welding.
“This isn’t your typical summer internship,” says Program Coordinator Carl Raymond. “We start our interns with the same onboarding process we use for full-time ExxonMobil employees. Then we give them real responsibilities, hands-on training and help them grow into young professionals.”
That growth begins with a week-long onboarding, where interns receive safety training, meet their mentors and participate in professional development. Then, students spend seven to eight weeks embedded in departments like Mechanical, Engineering, Environmental, Laboratory and Information Technology, working side-by-side with employees while earning a highly competitive wage.
Mechanical students like Zachary High School graduate Keilan Johnson shadow machinists, change compressor cylinders and install pumps. Engineering interns like Ethan Gauthier and Gabriel Hall rotate through multiple departments to explore the connections between electrical, instrumentation and technical systems.
The impact goes beyond technical skills. Interns also participate in college visits to LSU, Southern University and BRCC, tour contractor facilities, and complete community service projects with groups like Habitat for Humanity and the United Cajun Navy. Every Friday, the cohort focuses on soft skills, résumé writing and career planning.
Woodlawn High graduate Reagan Rodgers, who returned to the program for his third summer, says the most important lesson is about networking. “Talk to everybody,” he advises. “Build connections that could help you in your future career.”
Raymond agrees. “Many students come in thinking they know what they want to do,” he says. “But after being exposed to different roles, they leave with a clearer understanding of their options and how to get there. That’s the value of the program. Whether it confirms their path or changes it, that’s a win.”
The internship is part of ExxonMobil’s broader workforce development pipeline in Baton Rouge. The company starts engaging students in elementary and middle school through classroom visits, STEM exploration activities and tutoring and mentorship programs. ExxonMobil also offers career exploration programs for 9th and 10th grade students and participates in educator externships where high school teachers visit the site to learn about jobs in industry. Beyond the high school internship program, ExxonMobil offers engineering internships to college students and offers free craft skills training through the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative.
By investing early in local talent, ExxonMobil is helping build a diverse and skilled workforce for the future, not just for the company, but for the entire Gulf Coast region.
For more information about ExxonMobil’s workforce development programs, visit ExxonMobil Baton Rouge online at corporate.exxonmobil.com/locations/united-states/baton-rouge-operations.
