Below is a transcript for DOE Office of Indian Energy's Tribal Internship Program video.
Thomas Jones: What I enjoyed the most about the internship program was the site visits that we were able to go on. Doing research in an office about renewable energy and going on a site visit, it offers you two completely different viewpoints, and so the tribal energy program offers you the opportunity to see how energy impacts communities firsthand, and that is an incredible takeaway.
Len Necefer: It's one thing to read about it. It's one thing to write a paper about it, but it's another to talk to people who are actually looking at how do you address the issues of energy access. Just having these interactions with tribal leaders has been probably one of the coolest things that I wouldn't have had otherwise if I had not been in this program.
Debbie Tewa: You can read about all of these stories, but when you're actually in the field and the distance you have to drive, I mean you really get the experience in terms of what tribes have to do to be able to deploy a system or a project out there.
Gepetta Billie: I would recommend the program because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to get out in the field, to hear for yourself, to see for yourself the work that tribes are doing today with respect to energy development in Indian country.
Sandra: The internship program is so important because as part of an added learning to those students who have already decided their path, they've already decided to go in a technical field, what I'm hoping to do is just give them an opportunity with 90 days of summer to enhance that learning that so they understand what's happening on tribal lands.
Tanya Martinez: Like I knew I was interested in renewable energy and working with tribes, but I'd never actually done it. So it was my first exposure to working with tribal communities, and I just loved it. It confirmed that, hey, you're in the right place and this is the industry that you need to be in.
Lizana Pierce: I see the program as contributing to young, educated leaders in clean energy.
Thomas Jones: My experience in this program has furthered my desire to give back to the communities. My role can help a lot of people, and I don't take that for granted.
Gepetta Billie: So my dream job is to give back to my community, to plan, implement and develop projects that can provide the same sort of luxuries that everybody else across the country takes for granted. I think that I have something that I can offer that way.
Sandra: Because I keep in touch with the interns, I've seen that it has been life changing for them.
Tanya Martinez: I can see a clear connection between the work that I do today and the internship experience.
Thomas Jones: I would without hesitation recommend this program to anyone who is interested in renewable energy specifically for tribes. This is really the premiere program for tribal energy.
[End of Audio]