“A core belief of mine is that the only way to change the world is to change how people think. A statistic will not change someone’s mind, but rather those they meet and the experiences they have.”
These are words from Stephanie Flear’s project proposal which addresses the global energy crisis in a unique fashion. Through one of United Planet’s Environmental Sustainability Projects alongside partnerships with Energy Floors and Virginia Tech, Stephanie will soon be embarking on an internship abroad in Nepal. There, she will engage with the community in Sankhu (20 minutes outside of Kathmandu) through installing an energy floor, providing classes on the topic of sustainability, and inspiring people to do the same thing she’s doing: pursuing what matters to you the most.
Her journey began back at school, where she reached out to the President and Vice President of the Nepalese Student Association on Virginia Tech’s campus. It was through those conversations that taught Stephanie about the cultural background in Nepal.
“She is an inspiration to me. She has always made me feel empowered and as if I could actually change the world,” said Stephanie on Dr. Jennifer Lawrence, her faculty mentor. Soon she will be seeing that change take place firsthand.
Dr. Jennifer Lawrence and Stephanie after a banquet for the Leadership and Social Change Residential College (LSCRC) at Virginia Tech.
Stephanie will take a flight to the Netherlands where she’ll partake in an externship with Energy Floors. She will learn about the company, see their product, develop short classes, and dive deeper into piezoelectricity.
Piezoelectricity will be the center of Stephanie’s energy project. Piezoelectricity is the generation of electricity from the application of pressure from, let’s say, people standing or dancing on a platform! Energy Floors builds floors that utilizes this green energy solution. It is a green energy solution that Stephanie believes can help solve the energy crisis. She will be introducing it to the family support center in Sankhu. It is an installation process that can last up to three days as it entails “preparing the natural ground, laying down 9 tiles, connecting the floor to the grid system, and setting up a network connection.”
The following days will consist of educating the local community about green energy and sustainability. Stephanie will teach topics spanning from “responsible practices throughout everyday activities” to “how to use the floor”. These are the days where her interaction with the community will be at a peak during her trip.
“This is the core of the project, where I will not only engage with the community, but partake in personal research around social effects of energy poverty.”
The opportunity to volunteer in Nepal will be made possible through the combined efforts of United Planet, Energy Floors, and Virginia Tech’s Odyssey Fellowship. The Fellowship is awarded to those who self-plan a project that aligns with their academic ambitions and interests. Stephanie’s project had the honor to receive this Fellowship because of not only her hard work but also her ability to display why she wanted to pursue it.
“The field of engineering is a global industry that spans all realms of living, but what I feel is missing, is especially the question of “What is the purpose of my career in engineering?” Not often enough is this question asked, and from reflection and a lot of time, I have discerned that the purpose for my career in Electrical Engineering is to serve. As vague as that may sound, the truth behind that statement can be best described through my desire to learn. From the challenge to finish a twenty-thousand-line output C++ program, to constructing clipping circuits in electronics lab, to designing an 8-bit CPU from scratch. Never have my motivations for why I am studying this field laid in financial, time, or job security desires for the future. And I realize as I write this, I have privilege in being able to say this. This is precisely the reason I am going to use what I receive, so that I may give.”
Stay tuned for updates on Stephanie’s impact story on our blog! For more details on her journey, check out Stephanie’s website at www.stephanieflear.com!
Learn more about United Planet’s opportunities to volunteer in Nepal.
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
