Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Villasis and I am a rising senior studying environmental science. I am minoring in gender, sexuality, and women’s studies as well as earning two certificates in sustainability and geographic information systems (GIS). I never thought I would have the opportunity to study and work abroad, so you could say I am very excited to be in Germany for almost three months!

My internship in Germany will be with the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena). Dena is a consulting agency that works with businesses and government agencies to promote the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. They also focus on increasing energy efficiency through lowering energy consumption, enhancing mobility, and building design.

I specifically chose Germany as my internship destination because of its reputation in the advancement of clean energy. Germany has been one of the leading countries to make the transition away from fossil fuels. I am eager to learn Germany’s mentality on renewables and possibly bring this back to the U.S.

I am looking forward to my first day of the internship! I cannot wait to experience everything Berlin has to offer.