Impact Connections: LIFT Consultant Interview with Rachel Schlesinger

by Sandi S. Ruddick

Our outstanding LIFT student consultant that we are highlighting this month is Rachel Schlesinger. Rachel is a junior Bachelor of Business Administration and Plan II Honors student who worked as a LIFT consultant with ENGIE for the Fall 2020 semester. She enjoyed her experience with ENGIE so much that she applied for an internship, and is now a Distributed Renewables Intern with them. It was a pleasure to sit down with Rachel and talk about her experiences with LIFT.

Sandi: Good afternoon, Rachel! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us about your experiences as a student consultant with LIFT.

Rachel: You’re very welcome!

Sandi: I see from your bio that you are passionate about climate change solutions and environmental sustainability; how did you develop this passion? How do you think this drives your pursuit of knowledge and opportunities in the academic and business worlds?

Rachel: I think it is a mix of a lot of things. In the 4th grade, I did a project on arctic animals and climate change that introduced me to the environmental challenges. I’m now motivated by an understanding of how climate and the environment affect everyone, especially those most vulnerable in society. My passion for climate change solutions and environmental sustainability drives everything that I do. During my explorative educational journey, I was introduced to business as a way of changing policy that affects the world and sustainability — it is an amazing force if done right.

Sandi: Tell me about your journey to LIFT: how did you hear about the program? What made you want to be a consultant?

Rachel: I heard about LIFT because of the other ways I am involved in sustainability. I am super involved with SELL (Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab), and I heard through the grapevine about LIFT and that ENGIE was going to be a client. I really wanted to work with them and was fortunate to have the opportunity. I am really excited to be interning with them this semester, as well!

Sandi: Congratulations on your internship, Rachel! Would you describe for us your work in the impact space: your fellowship work at ENGIE; other areas or opportunities?

Rachel: My work in the impact space really has defined my college experience: my work with SELL, RISE Texas, and helping relaunch an entrepreneurship program with Notley. With LIFT, our team experience was great — the collaboration was phenomenal. I collaborated with a team of five students to develop life-cycle emissions calculations and case studies for renewable energy projects. It was quite interdisciplinary, so we all brought something unique and valuable to the table.

Sandi: What did you like about your experience with LIFT? What do you think it taught you and/or how did it contribute to your view of sustainability in the business world?

Rachel: We loved our client! We definitely got as much (or more!) from them as we gave. During our Wednesday talks, we learned so much about energy Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and their importance to managing impact. We also got to talk to internal people from ENGIE at our meetings! At our presentation, there were so many people there who cared about the work we had done; even the sustainability officer for ENGIE North America was there. It was so rewarding to see how well our work was received and that it will continue on even after our project is over.

Sandi: What are your future goals? How might they offer you the opportunity to contribute to social, environmental, or governance impact?

Rachel: I am still figuring that out! The project was so transformative to me. It showed me that energy is what we should focus on for impact. I would love to work for an energy company like ENGIE after graduation; it would be great to work in energy, urban planning, or transit. My focus is how I can lower our carbon footprint with my life and career. Dream projects would include redesigning communities with clean energy, low carbon, and realistic sustainable living.

Sandi: What an amazing goal to pursue! Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Rachel: I am so grateful that SII gave me the opportunity to be a LIFT consultant. Without the fellowship, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to have learned such a ridiculous amount about sustainability and impact in such a short time!

This interview has been edited in context and length for clarity and brevity.