Turning Dreams Into Reality
When I was in high school, I was so excited to take part in the annual science fair. I always had a fascination with the way things work and the science behind the best inventions, so I chose a topic that intrigued me: solar energy.
In my senior year, I built a solar collector using a parabolic trough with a mylar coating. This structure enabled me to capture the sun’s rays along a single focal point inside the trough. My project landed me a trip to the National Science Fair in Cleveland, Ohio. I was thrilled to see the fruits of my labor, and watch what happens when you have an idea and work hard to turn it into reality. The trip also gave me the opportunity to observe the projects of hundreds of other students from across the country who were representing their regions. As I’ve moved through my career the last thirty years, I still hold this same excitement.
My wonder grows when I get to watch it unfold before me – just as I did in high school – with my clients. I am so fortunate to work with some innovative and inspiring clients who have created companies that are truly making a difference in the world. My current client, Nautilus Solar Energy, is dazzling me every day, as I watch how they’re transforming the solar energy landscape across the country. I think Earth Day is the perfect day to celebrate a company focused on sustainability that significantly reduces carbon emissions and harnesses the sun to power our homes and businesses. One of their biggest initiatives is called Community Solar, which means that anyone in their markets can now utilize the power of solar energy for their homes or apartments, without needing expensive solar panels. They just sign up with Nautilus, and their utility company then gets fed solar energy for them to use. How cool is that? I think that’s what I was hoping for with my small project all those years ago, but even in my wildest dreams, wouldn’t have imagined I’d be working for a company doing something similar on such a large scale. Turning dreams into reality that changes lives = true power.
