This fall, I will be entering my senior year at the University of Dayton and completing my Bachelor of Science in sustainability. During my time at UD, I have found that I hold a strong passion for finding solutions to problem areas that boost efficiency and improve community experiences, all while keeping environmental impacts in check.
However, due to the fact of having passions in many different areas and sustainability being a large umbrella to many fields, I have explored countless avenues of potential careers in my field, but still have yet to land on my exact path forward after graduation.
With that being said, I wanted this summer to be an opportunity to explore numerous projects and topics to gain exposure to more potential career tracks, while also honing my skills in areas that I have had prior experience in. My energy and stormwater fellowship with the City of Kettering has done just that.
Working under the recently added sustainability manager for the City of Kettering, Dawn Kirchner, I have been exposed to how interconnected sustainability work is within each department of a local government. During my fellowship, I contributed to projects involving energy efficiency, stormwater management, waste reduction, grant writing, GIS mapping and community outreach.
More specifically for my main energy and stormwater projects, I have completed extensive research on successful municipal energy programs that will help Kettering residents and businesses reduce energy. I also have inspected and documented 21 stormwater sites throughout the city to aid in necessary updates.
Aside from these, as I have never had the chance to complete this type of work, one of my favorite projects was assisting with grant writing for a proposed city-wide composting initiative. Following completion of necessary research, I drafted sections explaining the environmental and community benefits of the expanded composting program. This project challenged me to turn research and technical data into a compelling narrative that will demonstrate why this great effort is worth investing in.
Besides my various projects, a valuable part of this fellowship that I will take away are my observations of how sustainability work plays out behind the scenes. I had the opportunity to attend many meetings with Dawn that allowed me to see how departments plan and collaborate, and then set these plans into motion. I also enjoyed learning about other people’s career paths that brought them to their roles. I learned that many professionals have pivoted their area of study many times, which provided reassurance that exploring different opportunities can lead you to work that you truly enjoy.
Returning for my senior year at UD, I am grateful for the skills and confidence I have developed this summer, as well as a much clearer understanding of the role sustainability can play in a local government setting. Exploring different projects that fall under the umbrella of sustainability has continued to strengthen my passion for the field, and I am excited to see how this passion will follow through my senior year and after graduation.