When Danny Kwon happened to stumble upon a Williams booth at the University of Houston career fair his junior year, he had no idea his journey with the company would eventually lead him to small-town North Carolina.
Kwon landed an engineering internship during the summer of 2021 where he not only applied his engineering knowledge and gained valuable experience, he also was impressed with the inclusive culture at Williams, something very important to him.
Born and raised in Texas by South Korean immigrants, growing up, Kwon often felt torn between two cultures.
“Growing up, I often found myself looking in the mirror and being surprised that my physical appearance didn’t align with how I felt inside,” he explained. “There was always a disconnect.”
Despite being deeply immersed in American culture, Kwon’s family would make sure he grew up honoring his Korean heritage. His family celebrated Lunar New Year and performed the annual traditional Korean ceremony commemorating the lives of loved ones who passed away.
After his internship with Williams, Kwon joined the three-year rotational program where he is learning about different parts of the business. He spent his first year at the Houston office in the Front-end Engineering Design group under project development. He then transitioned to field operations, where he is currently working as a technical services engineer at the Pine Needle LNG storage facility in Stokesdale, North Carolina.
While excited to take on a new challenge, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive walking into a new environment where he might not fit in.
“I’m probably not what you’d expect a field engineer in rural North Carolina would look like,” Kwon said. “I was intimidated at first, but those feelings quickly disappeared. The team at the Pine Needle station is very welcoming and feels like family. The first day I was at the site, I was greeted so kindly by the team. I had nothing to be worried about.”
Kwon is currently wrapping up his second rotation at Pine Needle where he has been working with the division’s engineering team to execute expense and capital projects. Next, he will return to the Houston Sequent office to join the commodity marketing team for his third and final rotation.
Kwon is a member of Williams Asian Pacific Islander and Young Professionals employee resource groups (ERGs) where he’s able to expand his network beyond his current location and connect with other ERG members across the business.
“It’s really cool that Williams offers ERGs,” Kwon said. “The ERGs provide a safe space for diverse perspectives, which can benefit not only the employees, but also the company.”
For this year’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the ERG has several events planned, including a session open to all employees about how to enable diverse talents to excel with the CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute, World Cultural Diversity Day luncheons and volunteer night at a local food bank.
Kwon feels appreciative of all the different experiences and growth opportunities Williams has offered him up to this point.
“I’m so grateful for the team here at Pine Needle,” Kwon explains. “They’ve not only shared a wealth of knowledge with me, but I’ve also formed a tight bond and friendship with the team. I’m looking forward to continuing these types of relationships throughout my career at Williams.”
Learn more about careers at Williams and our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion on Williams’ website.