Amazingly Memorable and Educational Trip

I originally applied to The GREEN Program in December of 2019 with the intention of traveling to Iceland in March 2020, but as we are all too familiar with by now, the pandemic has changed many of our plans.

I originally wanted to participate in the program as a sort of first step toward a career in sustainability/renewable energy, and with it being postponed, I had to take my future into my own hands. In the fall of 2020, I changed my Master's degree from Electrical Engineering to Green Technologies, and over winter break from December 2020 to January 2021, I was so pleased to participate in The GREEN Program's "Learn Now, Travel Later" program where I was able to complete the coursework for the program ahead of traveling to Iceland.

Pulling inspiration from geothermal energy systems in Iceland, I wrote a proposal for "Utilizing Geothermal Energy to Aid in the Deicing of Roadways in the United States" to combat the negative environmental effects of road salts.

After 3 postponements, I was finally able to travel to Iceland this past December to complete a capstone proposal and explore the island with my cohort. My capstone group proposed a non-profit called Southeast Wind which would advocate for wind energy solutions in the Southeast US where wind energy has yet to be fully taken advantage of despite its great potential. The challenge of working with others to come up with a solution to a real world problem is such a valuable experience.

A massive thank you to everyone at TGP who made this trip possible, and I can't wait to put what I've learned in this program to use in my career!