It's been described as an "Erie Canal moment" — Micron's $100 billion investment that many say will transform the Central New York region.

During the construction of the canal, only military academies offered engineering programs, leading the job to be described as “the nation’s first practical school of civil engineering.” Now, the area will again need plenty of engineers at what's set to be the largest chip manufacturing plant in the country.

Since the day of the announcement in early October, Micron has made it known they are looking to hire military veterans, and it is already making it happen.

Savion Pollard is Micron’s first veteran hire in Central New York.

“I wanted to do something bigger with my life and I wanted to find a purpose, so I joined the Navy,” said Pollard, who grew up in Queens and dreamed of a career in architecture.

After attending high school and studying accounting in college, he aspired to make a bigger impact. He joined the Navy and was first stationed in Saratoga Springs.

“I moved to Virginia for four years, where I finished my career on the U.S.S. Montana,” Pollard said.

After leaving military service, he still yearned for a career in STEM, but like many vets, he was unsure how to jumpstart the next chapter in his life.

“When I was transitioning out of the military, it was a real point of uncertainty in my life, where I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next,” Pollard said.

He said he eventually got into Syracuse University. He studied electrical engineering with a minor in computer science, but the experience getting there drove home the point that the U.S. needs to do a better job making sure veterans are taken care of when they leave the service.

“They sacrifice their lives and spend time giving back to the country, and for them to get out and have something to come back to, is extreme for them,” he said.

It was through his education at Syracuse that he came in contact with Micron. In October, he was named Micron's first intern hire in the area. He and his siblings got to meet President Joe Biden when he came to the area to talk about what is expected to be the largest semiconductor plant in the nation.

“I appreciate Micron, and I appreciate companies like Micron that work with veterans to ensure that veterans succeed after military service,” Pollard said.

And while his three-year internship will put him on track to get a permanent position with the company when production ramps up later in the decade, he said he hopes more companies in the U.S. will prioritize hiring service members. Pollard will start a summer internship on June 5, and after interning for a few summers, hopes to have the opportunity to work permanently with the company in Central New York.

“I feel like Micron working with veterans and giving them the opportunity, giving them something to get out of the military and work toward, it’s amazing for the Central New York area and for America,” Pollard said.