Competition was tough as 24 Florida International University (FIU) students vied for two “Alternative Energy Markets in the Dominican Republic and Panama: A Study Abroad” internships. The internships, available for the first time, were offered through the Global Energy Security Forum within FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Renzon Mora and Hector Mujica, both undergraduates in the College of Business Administration, were awarded the six-week internships, valued at $4,000 each.
“It was a very competitive process,” said Ed Glab, GESF co-director. “Each applicant submitted an essay, application and résumé, plus we conducted personal interviews with the finalists. Mora and Mujica competed with students from engineering, environmental studies and other fields, and emerged as the best candidates. It shows that our business school attracts top quality students.”
The interns will participate in a U.S. Department of Education-sponsored project researching the potential for small businesses in Florida to export alternative energy products and services to the host countries.
“This effort is contributing to our country’s and state’s need for energy diversification and climate protection,” said George Philippidis, energy director of the Applied Research Center and GESF co-director. “The specific focus is on biofuels and renewable power such as solar, wind and waste-to-energy.”
Interns look forward to outstanding opportunity.
“Back in Colombia, I have relatives working in the biodiesel business, so I have explored the subject of alternative energy,” said Mora, a senior majoring in international business and marketing, who will head to the Dominican Republic. “I would like to contribute to the efforts of the United States and possibly South American countries as they work to increase their alternative energy use.”
“My three passions are politics, business and environmental stewardship so the moment I read about this opportunity, I knew it was what I wanted to do,” said Panama-bound Mujica, a junior majoring in international business and also serving as an intern for U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “One of my career goals is to take the green technology of small businesses in Florida and elsewhere to developing nations desperately needing it.”
BizNews will follow up with Mora and Mujica when they return in June.
