Lalie Marie, a Master of Environmental Management student, spent her summer as a corporate sustainability intern at Lean Green Way (LGW). Marie is concentrating in Business and Environment as well as Energy and Environment. 

Each year, Nicholas School of the Environment students complete internships with organizations around the world. These summer experiences provide valuable opportunities to gain career-related experience and build a professional network. 

Duke Environment recently caught up with Marie to learn more about her experience. 

What aspects of the experience did you find most rewarding or memorable and why?

Person smiling in sunglasses while standing on a wooden suspension bridge over a creek, surrounded by dense green forest.

I greatly appreciated the exposure I received throughout my internship within a fast-developing industry (data centers). I was given many different types of projects to collaborate on or lead, ranging from topics like waste, supply chain management, water, energy, biodiversity, certifications, regulations, and legal, to skillsets like writing, research, interviewing, data analysis, and strategic thinking.

What was also rewarding were the Lunch 'N Learn presentations by internal team members, furthering exposure to different departments and specialties such as European regulation, waste operations, environmental compliance, and power and energy.

How did the coursework and resources at the Nicholas School prepare you for success in this role as well as your internship search?

I found my summer internship thanks to the Nicholas School Career and Professional Development Center (CDPC) weekly internship newsletter and their partnership with LGW. My coursework, specifically in Business Strategy and Carbon Accounting, set me up really well; applying the skills and knowledge I learned around emission factors and different standards and regulations allowed me to easily navigate many of my projects.

How has this internship influenced your career aspirations? Did it confirm or change your professional goals in any way?

After this experience, my internship has only solidified my desire to pursue corporate sustainability post-graduation. I want to specifically specialize in waste management and operations, but getting exposure to the breadth of corporate sustainability was incredibly valuable and sets me up well for future endeavors.