The sun is nearly up when Germanna engineering student Merwin Thomas begins his day at Cedar Mountain Stone, a quarry outside Culpeper that is as much a part of his education as the classroom.
He started working here as a 17-year-old high school student while taking college courses through Germanna’s Dual Enrollment program. After a year as an intern at its asphalt plant, he moved over to the quarry, a sprawling, terraced moonscape where workers blast and load rock that will become the building blocks of bridges and roads.
That wasn't always the plan. Thomas started out studying cybersecurity before Cedar Mountain Stone opened the door to an engineering career—and all the support he would need to get there.
Cedar Mountain Stone covers his tuition while he works toward an associate degree. It has also invested in workforce training, paying for Thomas to receive his Heavy Equipment Operator credentials.
“At the heart of workforce development is collaboration,” said John Stroffolino, associate dean of business and workforce development at Germanna. Partnerships with employers allow the college to align training with industry needs, creating opportunities for students while strengthening the regional workforce, he said.
Thomas is one of two Germanna students currently employed by Cedar Mountain Stone and Chemung Contracting. Over the past year, 34 Cedar Mountain employees earned Germanna workforce credentials, including Commercial Driver's License (CDL), Welding, Heavy Equipment Operator, Mine Foreman, and OSHA certifications.
Recently, Germanna President Tashika Griffith visited Cedar Mountain Stone's quarry alongside company president Ed Dalrymple Jr. to witness one of the site's controlled blasts—an up-close look at the kind of hands-on learning taking place through the partnership.
“The quarry blast was an incredible experience that truly exemplified workforce development in action,” Griffith said. “Getting to see firsthand how our students' work impacts our region in a meaningful way was invaluable. I'm very grateful to Ed Dalrymple for his investment in our students, and so proud of our students.”
For Dalrymple, investing in education is also an investment in Cedar Mountain Stone's future.
“We believe removing the financial barrier to education is one of the best investments we can make in our employees and in the future of our industry,” he said.
The partnership also helps the company build a pipeline of skilled employees who understand its culture, safety standards, and technical demands while giving students paid, real-world experience, Dalrymple said.
Students from Germanna are motivated and eager to build long-term careers—students like Thomas.
“He has a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to furthering his education while building a career with Cedar Mountain Stone,” Dalrymple said. “We’re proud to have him as part of our team.”
Thomas plans to graduate with his associate degree in engineering this fall, then transfer to Virginia Tech in the spring through Germanna’s Virginia Community College System Guaranteed Admission Agreement. He plans to get his bachelor’s degree in mine engineering, then return to Cedar Mountain Stone and become a project manager.
Thomas grew up working with his hands, helping his grandfather build houses. At the quarry, he also gets to work with his hands—mostly outdoors—and no two days are exactly alike. Weeks are punctuated by blasts in the quarry—his favorite part of the job.
“Blasting is pretty fun,” Thomas said. Days of preparation culminate in an explosion that rumbles like an incoming tide and sends giant clouds of gray dust rolling across the landscape.
The blast fractures massive rock into smaller pieces that are hauled away, crushed, and used in construction projects throughout the region.
Keeping up with college coursework while working full time—often from sunrise until late afternoon, five or six days a week—is no easy feat.
But Germanna’s online classes and flexible faculty make it possible. Harry Schoeller, Chair of the Engineering Department at Germanna, has helped ensure he takes the right classes toward his degree, Thomas said. Schoeller’s engineering classes have also been among Thomas’ favorites.
“It's more personal. It's a lot easier to get in touch with a professor,” Thomas said. “Whether you know what you want to do or not, Germanna is a good place to be.”