Rodrigo Davila

“Being part of YPIE is like belonging to a family. It didn’t just change my education, it changed how I see my future and my responsibility to my community.”

• Saunders Trades & Technical High School 

• Baruch College, Finance Major, Law and Policy Minor (2025) 

• Analyst, Con Edison 

• YPIE Mentors: Eilis Klein, Sam Wallis, Jeff (Volunteer)

When did you first get involved with YPIE?

My older sister Karina, who’s now a certified high school teacher in the Bronx, talked to me about YPIE when I was a high school freshman at Saunders. YPIE has so greatly impacted not only my education, but also my whole family. My younger brother Sergio also attended YPIE. Being a member of YPIE is like belonging to a family.

How did YPIE impact you and your family?

I come from a family of immigrants, and YPIE has helped my entire family thrive, even my mom, who understands the importance of education and YPIE’s effect on our family. YPIE has greatly impacted my outlook on education. It also connected me to an entire community of friends, educators, and mentors. I feel a responsibility to give back to my Yonkers community because YPIE helped me.

How did YPIE help you grow as a person and a student?

YPIE’s summer sessions helped me make friends and find my voice. There’s a social aspect to YPIE as well as an academic one. I made so many good friends there, and we’ve stayed in touch, including mentors like Jeff, Eilis Klein, and Sam Wallis.

I’m basically an introvert, but at YPIE I found my voice. YPIE asked me to speak on different panels to my peers, and I gained confidence from that experience.

How did YPIE prepare you for college and your career?

YPIE gave me skills that helped me greatly at Baruch College, especially reading, test-taking, and analytical skills. It also helped me develop speaking skills.

While at YPIE, I reached out to Sam for help getting an internship. He knew people at Con Edison and put in a good word for me after I applied. He also sent me other job postings. I applied to at least 50 jobs before Con Edison hired me. I interviewed online with several managers, and after that I got an email acceptance letter.

I worked as an intern for about a year and a half before being hired full-time.

What do you do now, and what does your work mean to you?

I’m currently an analyst and work as a strategic planner. I help forecast long-term energy needs by looking at consumption trends, weather forecasts, and future energy demands.

I’m often asked to share my ideas and speak to others about our findings. YPIE gave me the confidence to handle speaking to my peers and to Con Edison VPs. There might be 20 or more people in a meeting looking for forecasting and planning information.

It’s a very important and exciting place to work, especially when you think about how the energy landscape is changing rapidly, affected by the political climate, our environment, and the growing energy needs of A.I.

Can you share a moment when you realized how far you had come?

I recently traveled to San Diego to represent Con Edison at the DistribuTech Conference, where people across the energy industry share ideas and new technologies.

It was my first time traveling outside Yonkers.I really couldn’t believe I was there, learning so much about energy and visiting San Diego so many miles from home.

I even met up with a friend from Saunders who was also part of YPIE and is now in the U.S. Navy. It was great to reconnect.

What are your goals for the future?

My ultimate ambition is to help my community and to give back. Energy affordability is a big issue in my community. We want our systems to be both affordable and reliable. I’m working with my team to find the right investments and the right answers for now and the future.

I’m also thinking about grad school. My manager is encouraging me to pursue an MBA or a master’s degree, and since I minored in Law and Policy, law school is another option.

Are you still connected to YPIE?

Yes, I’m still connected to YPIE. I recently signed up for Career Connections, which assigns me a mentor to help with my resume and grad school applications. So I’m continuing my YPIE relationship.

What is a lesson from YPIE that has stayed with you? 

My YPIE mentor, Jeff, always told us, “College is a door that opens many other doors.” I didn’t understand it at first, but after college and starting my career, I finally do.

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