At the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, it takes a variety of people with different backgrounds, expectations, and experiences to keep the organization operating successfully. Today we’ll be introducing you to our summer intern John Mulunda, who has made several valuable contributes as an ISTC team member.
John moved to the Champaign-Urbana area in 2008 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. John enlisted in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) at the conclusion of his sophomore year at Urbana High School. SYEP placed him at ISTC based on his interests in research and technology.
At ISTC, John has worked on several different projects, such as making posters for a display or doing research. Some of the subject areas he’s researched this summer include solar panels, food and beverage manufacturers, community colleges, and publicly owned treatment works. Despite the occasional difficulty of balancing his work life with his outside interests, John says that his favorite part of working at ISTC has been the professional environment, knowing what’s expected of him, and having the opportunity to get it done.
Where is he headed in the future? John says, “I want to one day work in policymaking. My dream job is to work for the United Nations.”