Three more

Yesterday was graduation day at Unity College.

Three more Sustainability Design and Technology graduates went out into the world.

The three are Kayla Bubar, Cody Floyd, and Jamie Nemecek.

(Kayla got done with classes at Christmas. But there's no ceremonials at December graduation, just cake and speeches in the Library.)

I was very happy to see these fledglings walk the stage and get their diplomas. They've each worked hard, and I'm confident that each will go on to make a difference in the world.

Actually, Kayla is already hired. She has a job as Sustainability Coordinator for the food service at the University of Southern Maine.

Kayla has been a mainstay of the Sustainability Office. You can scroll through the UC Sustainability Monitor blog to see her contributions there. She also interned with G.O. Logic, who will be building a version of their passive solar design house on campus this summer. Kayla, in her internship, worked on publicity and PR for the original version built in Belfast, Maine.

Actually, come to think of it, Cody is also hired. He's going to be on the wind crew with me this summer.

Cody has worked in the construction business for some time. His father is a contractor. He's considering marrying his energy background with construction somehow.

Jamie wants to go to policy school, but is taking a semester, or possibly two semesters off. She's applying for policy internships.

Jamie also won the President's Award at graduation. This is an award given to the student chosen by the President of the College for demonstrating an excellent combination of academic excellence with community service.

She certainly deserved it. Jamie has been a mainstay of our community energy work, and has served on the community energy committees in both Unity and Waterville.

Here are some good pictures of all three doing fun (and intellectually rewarding) renewable energy stuff:

First up, since she technically graduated first, here's Kayla on her way to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. And yes, that would be Wales in the British Isles, not Wales, Maine.

(That would be why it's a "centre" and not a "center".)

I thought this was a good picture because of the rather direct and frankly appraising gaze the photographer is getting from Ms. Bubar.



And here she is actually at the Centre, in the solar courtyard by the cafe, with a computer laptop open, no doubt actually assiduously studying renewable energy, with Amber (who also graduated yesterday), and Alicia (who graduated last year).



Kayla was accepted to the CAT Graduate School of the Environment MSc program, but has put off starting the program while she decides if she wants instead to go to a US graduate program. She is also accepted to Boston Architectural College.

Here's Cody helping me with some wind power research. The first picture is from our research platform at the former Charleston, Maine USAF base, now a prison. We use the plinth for one of the old DEW-line radomes to support anemometer towers. Cody helped me set up the first anemometer on this site several summers ago.



The second is from the top of an old WWII Naval observation tower at the Peaks Island anemometer site.



And last but by no means least, here is Jamie. Both photos are at the Fox Islands Wind farm on the island of Vinalhaven. We're setting up the ground level anemometers that are to be used for the NREL sound abatement study.

The first shot is Jamie with Mary. They have just completed working on a boom arm.



The second shot is Jamie and Harvard professor George Baker working with a sensor.



Finally, I thought we'd better put up this video of Jamie on the Solar Road Trip. Jamie hates the video, but I think it's great.



Here's some of the Solar Road Trip context as seen by NYT climate and energy blogger Andrew Revkin. Read the first one before the second to get the full effect:

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/white-house-puts-off-solar-enthusiasts/

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/white-house-deliberative-process-on-solar-ends/

As you can easily see from the different activities, and the different placements, these three have already made a big difference in the world, before even leaving college.

We expect very confidently that they will go on to do much more.

A college's reputation rests on the quality of its students when they finally go out into the world. I think these students are a very great credit to Unity College and the experiences we've managed to provide them. We wish them all the best, and hope they come back to visit often.