With a couple of internships and three years of
work experience under my belt, I can semi-authoritatively state that
this is a professional experience cut from a very different cloth.
First
of all, at no point have I felt like an intern, nor have I been called
one. Instead, I am being called “Project Manager” and am in charge of a
significant part of the 10XE project.
However, that only accounts for half of my work duties. The second half
involves conducting a self-designed analysis of transit-related issues,
which I will be able to base my Masters Project on. Not a bad deal.
The
best part is not knowing what a given day is like since my duties and
routine vary greatly. Generally speaking, I start my day off spending
the morning at the Chief Scientist Amory Lovins’s
residence, also known as “The Banana Farm.” Yes, it has bananas. And
better, it has got a tropical garden with a mini-waterfall and turtles;
pretty good work environment.
After a few hours of work I go
over to RMI’s other office in Snowmass, which is located on a land
conservancy. After eating lunch at 7,000 feet with snowcapped mountains
in the background and wildlife running about, I participate in meetings
which often involve videoconferences and demand creative thinking.
The
most satisfying part of the internship may be being able to
professionally and usefully participate in discussions ranging from
business strategy (ENV 374: Principles of Management) to thermodynamics
(ENV 298: Energy Technology). It is good to hear that classes will have
real world application, but it is even better feeling an up swell of
crystallized knowledge being put into practice. I get the feeling I may
have learned more this past year than I thought.
