Solar Technician

Matt graduated from Calvin College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotech. Not keen on the idea of working in a laboratory every day, he has worked as a marine biologist, helping to keep the Bering Sea fisheries one of the most sustainable in the world. He also volunteered with the United States Peace Corps and taught school in Bekondo, Cameroon. While there, Matt found an NGO that was educating people about alternative energy. There is a real need for electric power in rural areas and in many cases solar is a good solution. Matt was able to help one family from Bekondo get a 70W solar system to run some lights in their home. This small project inspired in him more than two years of teaching and improving school buildings.

Colorado Connections: Matt came to Colorado in 2007 because CU has a program in their Civil Engineering Department called Engineering for Developing Communities, which focuses on projects that would improve life in rural areas of developing countries. At this point, Matt may be distracted by the many other opportunities available in Colorado, like gaining work experience in the solar industry and rock climbing.