Chemistry graduate turns internship into full-time job

When Stephen Harmon, a May 2025 graduate from the University of South Carolina Aiken, chose his chemistry major, he “had no clue” how he would use it in a future career. He did know, however, that chemistry “came easily” to him, and due to the influence of a great high school chemistry teacher, he decided to pursue that academic path in college. He said that influential chemistry teacher “paved the way” for him and gave him a “great start.”

About a year before he graduated, Harmon realized his true interest: research and development. Completing an internship was not necessarily on his to-do list, but when the CTO for FuelX Innovation Inc. emailed Gerard Rowe, a chemistry professor at USCA, expressing interest in hosting an intern, he began to give it some thought. Originally, he did not pursue the internship in detail, but he did connect with the FuelX team about a year later when he and a classmate needed to use their machines for a project they were working on in their inorganic chemistry lab. FuelX management told Harmon to contact them if he ever needed an internship. This time, he jumped right on the opportunity and was hired as an intern in February 2024.

Harmon completed a year-long internship with FuelX, a company focused on using metal hydrides for hydrogen storage as an alternative energy source. During his time there, he worked on solvent purification using sodium hydride and operated various instruments to characterize and analyze chemical compounds. The internship allowed him to broaden his understanding of lab equipment by working with machinery different from what he had used in the university’s academic labs. In addition to honing his technical skills, Harmon also developed his soft skills by helping to open and manage a new account for the company, an experience he says helped him “contact and call people,” which significantly improved his communication abilities.

As Harmon approached graduation, he was hired as a full-time employee by FuelX. When asked why he believed pursuing an internship was important, he described it as “definitely a foot in the door.” He explained that the internship gave FuelX a chance to “assess my skills and see if I could do the job,” adding, “An internship grants experience for your entire career.”
His advice for future interns? “Try not to be nervous about talking to other people. Always try to understand what your objective is whether that’s the project you’re working on or what you want to gain from your internship.” Harmon also emphasized the value of speaking with professors to build connections and expand your professional network.

His favorite part of the internship? “The people I work with are very cool. We’ve formed a community I haven’t found anywhere else.”

For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.