Internship Impact Statements

Testimonials from just a few of the 100+ BU alumni who have served as BU Sustainability interns. Note that BU Sustainability’s previous name was sustainability@BU.

Stephanie Gagnon (CAS ’18)

“sustainability@BU opened my eyes to the wide variety of career options relating to sustainability and climate action, and helped me to shape my passion for sustainability issues into tangible actions. As a communications intern, I learned a great deal about the nuances of sustainability issues and powerful ways to shape the conversation around them. But more than that, I discovered a community of people who combined their passion for individual sustainability with their work on organizational sustainability. Since graduation, I’ve gone on to work in digital engagement for a national conservation organization and I use what I learned at sustainability@BU in my day-to-day work.” – Stephanie Gagnon

Alexandra Chin (CAS ’18)

“Working with sustainability@BU gave me the unique experience of more than just an internship opportunity. It was my first step into the sustainability space and gave me the ability to see multiple sides of the climate change issue; scientific and communications. It also allowed me to explore creating and leading my our projects and learning how to respond to successes and failures.” – Alexandra Chin

Victoria Chaney (CAS ’18)

“sustainability@BU gave me a space to pursue interesting lines of research regarding our rapidly changing climate and to experience firsthand actionable design solutions to mitigate our impact within the built environment. The skill set gained in my internship working with building and campus metrics is directly applicable to my work today in design.” – Victoria Chaney

Georgia Ivsin (QST ’18)

“Working with sustainability@BU taught me that large-scale, progressive change is possible.” – Georgia Ivsin

Jon Blair (QST ’18)

“Working with this remarkable group fundamentally redefined my understanding of sustainability and directed me to a career on the front lines of the energy sector. I now routinely leverage the skills and lessons that I learned from sustainability@BU in my professional role as the leader of a municipal electric utility. Working with sustainability@BU was a far more enlightening and transformative experience than I ever anticipated; it introduced me to a variety of career interests and opportunities that changed the trajectory of my professional life for the better.” – Jon Blair

Antonio Chidiac (CAS ’17)

“Working with sustainability@BU allowed to me embrace the thought diversity, passion and drive that fuels solving complex global problems. My experience allowed me to take on more individual responsibility, collaborate with people from different backgrounds and push myself to continuously improve on a personal and professional level. The people I worked with taught me that involvement in tackling climate change and sustainability issues come in different shapes and sizes, and that every little bit can matter. That’s something I’ll cherish everyday.” – Antonio Chidiac

Dylan Lewellyn (QST ’16)

“My time as an intern with sustainability@BU was one of the most formative of my college experiences in deciding on my career trajectory.  I developed a more nuanced understanding of sustainability as a holistic framework that must be integrated into the culture of an organization, which motivated me to enter the sustainable energy industry.  I had the opportunity to see the real world application of this philosophy in the day-to-day operations of sustainability@BU.  This combination of knowledge and experience has been invaluable in my career successes thus far, and I still draw on the lessons I learned from my time at sustainability@BU every day in my current role.  Not to mention, the professional network and relationships I formed  were critical to me finding a job with equally motivated individuals in a sustainability-driven organization.” – Dylan Lewellyn

Lucy Mui (CAS ’16)

“When I reflect on what I want from a job, I often return to my experience interning with sustainability@BU. The balance of autonomy and guidance, paired with a real sense of urgency and impact, made the day-to-day meaningful and fulfilling. These days, I maintain these qualities as guiding principles in my career and continue to dedicate time to sustainability through volunteering with environmental offices and organizations in Washington, D.C.” – Lucy Mui

Chen Cao (SPH ’16)

“Interning with sustainability@BU helped me broaden my interests and horizons, especially as I went through grad school. Now working in healthcare, I still think about (and am known within my department) as someone who cares deeply about sustainability and environmental impact.” – Chen Cao

Ian Johnson (CAS ’12)

“sustainability@BU changed my whole life for the better and set me on a trajectory for exactly the type of work I wanted to be doing. My time spent with Dennis was exceptional. I am successful today because of Dennis’s support, networking and encouragement. I would not be where I am without him.” – Ian Johnson

Patrick Pease (CAS ’11)

“My internship with sustainability@BU helped me start my career in building engineering with a focus on sustainability. It’s been fantastic to hear the growth of sustainability@BU — everything from the size of the department, to support from the BU administration, to creation and implementation of the BU Climate Action Plan. There is so much momentum.” – Patrick Pease

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