This summer I interned for the municipal government of Ingolstadt, Germany, where I developed a computer-based greenhouse gas emissions monitoring system to track progress on the city government’s carbon neutrality plan. My majors are math and German studies, and I do a lot of environmental and climate change work at NC State and in Raleigh, so it was a perfect fit for me! I designed a computer-based model for estimating the greenhouse gas emissions occurring within the boundaries of the city. I used this model to generate annual emissions inventories dating back to 2014, and then I submitted policy proposals for decreasing the city’s carbon emissions to zero tonnes by the end of 2050. Aside from that, I assisted with drafting international project proposals for a series of connected national parks along the Danube River, and I also helped with an exchange visit from one of Ingolstadt’s sister cities.
How did you find this internship? I got the internship with the help of my German adviser. I applied to a program run by a nonprofit called Cultural Vistas, where you submit a resume and a bunch of writing about your career aspirations and level of foreign language competency, and then the staff finds a relevant position for you. They’re great at what they do and they run similar programs all around the world, so go ahead and check out Cultural Vistas if you’re feeling adventurous next summer.
Going into this internship, what were you most excited about? I was most excited to have the opportunity to spend my summer dedicated only to environmental work, whereas during the school year my attention tends to be distracted by math homework and other extracurricular obligations. Also, I was excited to meet people whose full-time jobs are protecting and improving the environment!
Were you anxious or nervous about anything? My German skills are really not that great, so I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of work. However, I improved a lot, and I learned that a rudimentary grasp of German is all that’s necessary to be a competent worker anyway. It’s pretty arrogant to assume that everyone will speak English all the time, but a basic knowledge of your target language will suffice.
Of all the lessons you learned during this internship, which one had the most profound impact? I learned that it’s ok to throw away old work and give up on ideas that are not functional. The final version of the emissions monitoring program is the eleventh iteration of my third idea of what the system would look like, so needless to say a lot of my work was thrown away. It was always terrifying to give up on a program that had taken so much time to develop, especially as the deadline got closer, but I noticed that every time I started over I was a faster and more efficient worker. All of the failed and messy attempts helped me improve the math and layout of the next iteration, so it ended up not being a disaster every time I had to start over.
If you are visiting Germany, you need to see or experience… Go on a bike ride!! Germany has a very well-developed infrastructure for bicycles, and it’s perfectly feasible to bike between small towns. I’ve been on several day trips along the Danube exploring the villages in the area, and in my opinion it’s just as fun as going to big cities like Munich and Berlin. The rural areas are so scenic, especially on the river, and if you’re lucky you might even get to see an enormous German rabbit along the way. Also, Germans have this drink called Eiskaffee, which is basically a cup of coffee with a massive helping of ice cream scooped into it. You should definitely try Eiskaffee!
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