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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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2008 College Student Interns

A photo of four Native American student interns standing side-by-side on Navajo Nation land.

Pictured left to right at Navajo Nation, Arizona: Gepetta Billie, Amanda Montoya, Carson Pete, Suzanne Singer

Learn more about the Tribal Energy Program's 2008 college student interns, including their educational backgrounds, research papers, a testimonial, and photo.

Gepetta Billie (Navajo)

Degrees:

  • M.C.R.P. Community & Regional Planning, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • B.A. Environmental Planning & Design, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • A.A.S Civil Engineering Technology, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Amanda Montoya (Taos/SanJuan/Isleta Pueblo)

Degrees:

  • M.C.R.P. Community & Regional Planning, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • B.A. Business Administration, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Research paper: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiatives on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation

Carson Pete (Navajo)

Degrees:

  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona

Research paper: North Leupp Family Farms Project: Agriculture Systems Using Photovoltaic Cells and Small Wind

Suzanne Singer (Navajo)

Degrees:

  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of California-Berkeley, California
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California-Berkeley, California
  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Intern Testimonial

"This internship has been one of the most motivating and unsurpassed experiences of my life. The summer opportunities were diverse and ranged from working, conversing, and experiencing what the top engineers and leaders in the country have planned and are developing for local and nationwide energy problems, to developing a better understanding of current renewable energy projects on tribal lands and the difficulties they have encountered, to examining the need for more tribal groups to become champions in leading their nations to the renewable energy world and setting examples other nations can follow, and finally, to helping address the need for young, educated Native Americans to become proactive in using their higher education to the best of their abilities and providing a better world for all of us to live in." — Carson Pete, 2008