�鶹��ý����

When I first came to campus during my senior year of high school in 2021, I remember seeing sidewalk chalk markings reading “MHC Divest.” I later learned it was part of a student-led campaign for �鶹��ý���� to divest itself from fossil fuels and pledge carbon neutrality. Later that year, the plans to become carbon neutral by our bicentennial, partially through transitioning to a geothermal exchange. As a prospective student interested in sustainability, I was hooked. At the time, I didn’t know that I would be spending so much of my time in college communicating with students about the geothermal project.

I’ve always been passionate about protecting the environment and getting people to think critically about the environmental impacts of their choices. During my first year, I got a job as a community sustainability assistant for the Miller Worley Center for the Environment. It was through this position and the one I currently hold (community sustainability coordinator) that I was able to see the geothermal project up close. I met Sustainability Program Manager Angie Gregory, who now acts as a mentor by always encouraging my work and inviting me to meet with professional staff to discuss the project. Because of her support, as well as the support of my supervisors, Adrienne Baxter and Mary Allison Kane, I was able to create two social media campaigns, “Let’s Talk Geothermal” and “Bringing the Heat,” to educate students about the project. The campaigns focus on aspects of the project that impact students and try to get them just as excited about it as I am. Through those campaigns, I covered topics ranging from an introduction to geothermal to air conditioning in the residence halls.

It’s great to know that people are learning more about the College's commitment to carbon neutrality through that content. My favorite part of the campaigns has been learning more about the project. Although my interests were originally focused on carbon neutrality, I found myself increasingly intrigued by the technology and infrastructure — for example, how the system utilizes the ground temperature, how deep the bores go and how the infrastructure will come together to create a complex system that will work for decades. After attending my first Thermal Thursday, a monthly event hosted by Facilities Management to discuss the geothermal project, my eyes were opened to the logistical challenges related to the project’s infrastructure. For example, not all of the existing underground piping is recorded, meaning that Facilities Management learns what is below the campus as they’re digging to install the piping. This means that the geothermal distribution pipes don't always go in a straight line — sometimes, they have to twist between pre-existing pipes. The geothermal project is a massive task, and seeing the way the administration and Facilities Management have planned the project is fascinating. The more I learned about the project, the more I learned about how much preparation, planning and logistics are involved and the more interested I became.

Science communication always comes with challenges, some of which I’ve experienced throughout my time on the geothermal project. Students want to know what’s happening on campus. Why is Skinner Green ripped up? Why is the Community Center bus stop closed? They understandably don’t want to hear a dull, technical answer to these questions. Trying to get information to students in an engaging and accessible way can be challenging. This is a valuable skill to have, and developing it is definitely worth my time. As someone interested in science, it’s very important to learn how to communicate information and engage people in a project. Although I’ll only be working on this project for the next year, the skills it has taught me in science communication will serve me well.

I’ve found working on this project to be extremely rewarding. I’ve grown more curious about energy policy in general, and I plan on pursuing that after I graduate. Additionally, I’m continuously in awe of the project and the people planning it and working on it. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to see something like this close-up, and it’s given me a deep respect for the people working on it.

Finally, I’m very proud to be a part of an institution that has successfully divested from fossil fuels and committed itself to carbon neutrality. I think I’m very lucky to attend Mount Holyoke while this change is happening, and it has led me down a path of curiosity and creativity.