“Middle school science with Mo Poxon was a turning point for me when I realized I really enjoyed math and science. Mo’s hands-on activities and passion for science and learning played a big part in that,汉娜·普拉特说.
今天, 马林地平线 Alumnus Hannah Platter (Class of 2014) is working as a Consultant at Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) based in San Francisco, focusing on clean energy and decarbonization modeling. Hannah was drawn to this work through a desire to make meaningful progress on the path to decarbonization. They are particularly interested in using their background in analytical problem solving to help find solutions to the big problems that E3 tackles.
Since they graduated from 十大电子游艺网站 in 2014, their journey has taken them across the country and back. Hannah attended 马林地平线 from Toddler to 8th grade, with a brief hiatus in 4th and 5th grade when their family temporarily moved away from the Bay Area. They then attended the Urban School in San Francisco for high school and went on to Smith College in Massachusetts, where they received a Bachelor of Sciences with a double major in Engineering and Jewish Studies.
We are thrilled to catch up with Hannah, and to ask about their experience at 马林地平线. Here are some edited excerpts from our interview:
What is your favorite memory of 十大电子游艺网站? 教育或其他?
Non-Academic: I have very fond memories of going on our annual camping trip, first to Camp Gualala and later to Redwood Glen. It was a place where my class bonded and created lasting memories. I’m still friends with a number of people I met when I was a toddler!
Academic: I loved middle school science projects with Mo Poxon. In particular, I remember building catapults and Rube Goldberg machines with a team of classmates. Being able to explore science topics in a hands-on way is one of the reasons I went on to study engineering.
你最喜欢的老师是谁，为什么?
我不能只选一个! Joel Booth put so much effort into helping every student get excited about the outdoors. He is one of the reasons that I, and many of my classmates, love to spend time in nature.
当我开始上中学的时候, I was convinced that I hated math (probably just because my friends did), but Mark Sherburne managed to install a love of math and analytical thinking that I use every day. He was also incredibly kind and put up with so many of our middle school antics.
How did 马林地平线 prepare you for your next steps - high school and beyond?
MHS taught me a lot of academic skills that helped me succeed in my first year of high school. 更重要的是, MHS taught me a lot about intellectual curiosity and loving learning which stayed with me for much longer.
Can you share a bit more about your work at E3?
E3 works on a wide variety of projects that support the clean energy transition. 在E3, I focus on projects related to rate design and customer affordability, 整个经济的脱碳, and analyses of distributed energy resources (such as rooftop solar). Public examples of some of my recent work include the Hawaii State Energy Office's Pathways to Decarbonization Report, 优先气候行动计划 环保署拨款(多个州)，以及 E3公共利率设计工具, which was used in an ongoing rate design proceeding in California.
当我大学快毕业的时候, 我意识到我并不想成为一名工程师, but knew I wanted a job that would let me apply my analytical problem-solving skills to real-world issues. I was also interested in policy and environmental issues, which led me to my work in energy modeling and consulting at E3. One of my favorite parts of working at E3 is spending everyday with people who are smart, 创新, 对自己的工作充满热情. My coworkers care a lot about sharing their knowledge and supporting junior staff, 我不断地学习新事物. 自从两年前加入E3以来, I've found my role on projects to be meaningful and I am excited to continue to expand my knowledge and work to decarbonize our energy systems!
事后看来, what do you think was unique about your education at 马林地平线, compared with your peers in high school and beyond?
The teachers at MHS really care about their students as people and the topics that they teach. The passion for helping students become well rounded and well educated is incredibly apparent.
Are there things you learned at 马林地平线 that stay with you to this day?
During my time at MHS, I really developed a love for learning. This stayed with me throughout my education, but is still present in the work I do today. 我在工作中花了很多时间学习, both from other people and by exploring analytic problems that might not have known solutions. My excitement about these sorts of opportunities stems from the open ended approach to learning that I was exposed to in elementary and middle school.