My name is Mathew Hearl and I am a second-year at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. I am from Long Island, New York, and STEM was a focus throughout my entire life with a particular emphasis on sustainability and protecting our environment. From early life sciences and biology courses to AP science courses, and now to the chemical engineering curriculum at Northeastern: it is more clear than ever that the magnitude of responsibility on our generation to make a positive change to the direction of climate change and sustainability efforts with our education is reaching new heights. One of the most prevalent reasons that I chose chemical engineering as my degree is so that I could both accumulate a breadth of knowledge of engineering concepts, and the critical thinking skills required to solve real-world problems and potentially make a change with the toolset this degree will provide. Thermodynamics and transport phenomena, to lab skills and real-world experience, are just some of the areas through the higher-level education that makes me, an aspiring chemical engineer, hopeful for what I will do outside of college. My recent years of learning have guided me to a particular area of science and engineering where I am motivated to make an impact. Renewable energy and energy storage are major steppingstones into the age of sustainable energy. Batteries are the cornerstone technology that allows us to store, transport, and charge our electronics for innumerous purposes. Northeastern’s internship program has provided me the opportunity to work for a company starting in July that is working on the research and development of cutting-edge battery technology. Making batteries cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and simply more advanced will make sustainable energy a more appealing candidate for future energy production. This opportunity will allow me to get a close-up view into the industry and will expose me to real-world practices that will make me an even better candidate to have an impact on this industry in the future. After this opportunity to work right in Cambridge, a technological epicenter, on battery technology, I hope to come back to campus and work in a lab also focusing on the research and development of battery technology. I have confidence that the next decade of sustainable energy advancement is reliant on the standing of batteries. Their cost, biodegradability, and effectiveness will dictate the magnitude of efforts to switch to sustainable energy. My chemical engineering degree doubled with my experience working in the field I hope to see change the world will undoubtedly prepare me for my career outside of college. These next years excite me as the prospect of my future I once had in mind is approaching reality. This path I set before myself is something that I am proud of and I can not wait for it to come to fruition. I am excited for the accumulation of work I will do on my internship and time spent in a battery research lab on campus to eventually lead to the release of revolutionary battery technology that will change the future of sustainability.