We check in with GRID Colorado intern, Kaila Busk, on her path to GRID and why solar is important to her!
My greatest passions have always been adventuring and protecting the outdoors. After graduating from college in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Alternative Energy and Outdoor Adventure Leadership, I initially pursued outdoor-based work in conservation and recreation. The last three years specifically, I worked for a non-profit helping individuals with disabilities access the outdoors in Durango, Colorado. During this time, my passion for alternative energy continued to grow in my personal life, leading me to build a 98 square foot off-grid tiny home on wheels in 2016, which is still my home today. My desire to re-connect with alternative energy on a professional level sparked a few months ago when I came across GRID Alternatives during their 1.2 megawatt installation on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in southwest Colorado. After researching GRID Alternatives further, I was so inspired by the incredible work they were doing and the organization's mission and values, that I wanted to be apart of it in some capacity while taking the first step to re-directing my career path.
After putting in the last day at my job in Durango, I packed up my tiny home on wheels, and moved to Denver to volunteer for GRID Alternatives full-time as a residential solar installer. From day one, the community at GRID offered a very warm welcome, a 100% be-yourself mentality, and expressed genuine interest and enthusiastic encouragement for my goals while working at GRID. Three months later, I was offered an internship continuing my install experience, including a few solar specific events and educational opportunities. My time at GRID has been been a ripple effect of amazing experiences, providing me the tools to change my career path in an ever-growing industry that I would have otherwise needed to go back to school for. While I'm still in the early stages of my solar career, the shift to renewables is necessary and GRID has helped me be a part of it!