During the last four years as a major in environmental studies at New York University (NYU), I have gained a tremendous knowledge of energy systems, environmental sustainability, planning, and policy. In 2013 for my climate change class, I worked on a semester long project on NYC’s resilience and adaptability after hurricane sandy. This gave me the opportunity to analyze systems, operations and procedures that the city has in place and what must be done to improve resiliency towards future storms. Also in my Graduate course, I compared NYC, and Lancaster’s energy, water and transportation profiles through and urban planning approach. This semester I am working on a capstone project titled “Creating Incentives for Conservation Practice on Private Lands” focusing on the Adirondack Lands. This project will focus on sustainable building for private lands, and reducing the ecological footprint in upstate New York. I have focused my studying interests on how to make society and all its components economically feasible. I believe society as a whole must do their part to limit their effects on the environment and policy makers have a critical role in accomplishing this.

I currently intern at NYC Accelerator for a Clean Resilient Economy (ACRE), which is a New York State Economic Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supported incubator. This unique feature of the incubator has already given me a familiarity with NYSERDA and it’s initiative programs. I have learned about project management by assisting 'The Executive and Deputy Director of NYC ACRE' on numerous projects and grants for NYSERDA, as well as collaborated with various ACRE contacts. I lead ACRE's social media streams and newsletters to better communicate ACRE’s work, as well as the startups to a larger audience. This experience has given me an immense knowledge and an inside look of the clean energy technology startup movement in New York City.

While interning for the Billie Jean Greenternship program at the U.S. Open I learned how a large sports venue runs its daily operations. I taught and helped educate the staff on various sustainable methods and techniques and at the end critiqued and helped tweak the recycling and composting program to better the efforts for upcoming years.