Submitted by Joshua Moore, FPL
MIRAMAR, FL — Sometimes it’s difficult for a college student to look decades ahead and see the long-term benefits of a summer internship, but not for Joshua Romeo.
As the Florida A&M University (FAMU) engineering student wraps up his third internship at Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and heads back to Tallahassee for his final year of classes, he looks to the example of his father to see how an internship can be the springboard to vast opportunities in the future.
Joshua’s father, McKenley Romeo, grew up and chose to raise a family in Broward County. He studied engineering at Florida State University (FSU) through the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering before launching his career as an FPL intern.
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering represents a unique partnership between two universities, combining FAMU’s science strengths with FSU’s research strengths. This joint college of engineering, which is the only shared college of engineering in the nation, offers students from both institutions access to shared resources, faculty expertise and collaborative research opportunities while maintaining each university’s distinct identity and traditions. Students can earn degrees from either FAMU or FSU while benefiting from the combined engineering programs housed in the shared Tallahassee campus facilities.
The senior Romeo continues to build on his 26-year career at FPL, taking on a wide range of roles across the company’s customer service and power delivery business units and winning the company’s highest honor, the Lewis Hay III Leadership Award for Outstanding Leadership. Currently, McKenley serves as the director of safety for FPL’s power delivery business unit. The Romeos are one of many multi-generational families at FPL, Florida’s largest electric utility.
“It’s a tremendous honor to see my son following a similar path to mine,” said McKenley. “It’s great to see him embrace the same dedication to service that inspired me to pursue a career at FPL. We’re both committed to using our engineering skills to improve how we serve our customers – and that’s a great feeling.”
While McKenley focused on industrial engineering during his time at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Joshua has carved out his own niche in computer engineering. His current internship has included work in AI modeling, giving him practical experience that complements his academic studies.
“It’s inspiring to walk the same halls and work with some of the same people my father has worked with,” said Joshua. “This internship has given me the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, learn from different business units and understand how we serve our community through innovative technology and reliable service.”
Joshua says his experience gives him insights beyond his classroom learning at FAMU. From his first internship in service planning to his most recent work with AI modeling, he says he’s gained a step forward in his career through his internships with the company.
“The opportunities at FPL allow me to go beyond what I’m learning in college,” he said. “I feel more prepared and excited to contribute to the industry and the community in the future.”