Why did you decide to volunteer with blueEnergy in Nicaragua?
Austen: I decided to volunteer with bE because they were very accommodating to my schedule. I get a long mid-year vacation between my spring and fall semesters and bE was able to accommodate my schedule with a 14 day opportunity from January 7-21 (I would not recommend a trip much shorter because of how remote Bluefields is!). Additionally bE is well aligned with my academic and career interests. I wanted first hand experience to see how renewables are bringing modern energy access to the underserved.
What was your typical morning like?
Austen: Wake up whenever you want. Head to the kitchen to grab a coffee and coconut bread. Usually there will be several others doing the same which provides a great opportunity to exchange plans for the day. Everyone at blueEnergy will be receptive to your willingness to help, so if your daily schedule permits definitely ask others how you can help out with their projects.
This is how I got on a day trip out to El Bluff to assemble a wind monitoring tower and got to spend an afternoon talking water samples from community wells around Bluefields. Typically after breakfast I would meet with my project advisor to update him on progress and get a sense of direction for the day. Then I would walk to the blueEnergy workshop at the local university, Inatec.
How did you spend your afternoons?
Austen: Afternoons were spent at the workshop where I designed, built and packed my solar system with help from the workshop staff who were locals, close to my age and who knew how to joke with me even if I couldn't speak much spanish.
My project advisor would occasionally visit the workshop in the afternoons to make sure I had the necessary materials and educational resources to make my install a success but I had a large degree of freedom in the afternoons to execute my design.
Describe a typical evening.
Austen: In the evenings time was spent planning travel logistics of the install, documenting the install in a formal report and getting to know other blueEnergy staff and volunteers. While I was with blueEnergy they were hosting their largest group ever of students from MIT, UCSD, Brown and the Naval Academy as well as their board of directors.
The evenings were a great time to get to know like minded peers and experts while exploring the Caribbean culture around Bluefields at spots like 4brothers and Lala's.
What made this experience unique and special?
Austen: I was able to tailor my experience at blueEnergy, with the guidance of my advisor, so my experience ended up uniquely geared towards my interests. In addition, access to the people who volunteer and work for blueEnergy made my experience very special. I'm still in touch with several blueEnergy affiliates.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Austen: In summary, my hands on experience with blueEnergy reintroduced a sense of motivation to my studies while renewing my appreciation for many things I take for granted.