It’s not every day when opportunity walks through the door and slaps you in the face. But….it happened at GRID Alternatives Central Valley when Irene Morales walked through our doors one wintery day looking to volunteer with us. As luck would have it, through her volunteer efforts and sheer dedication to helping families, Irene became our Development Assistant in December 2013. Since then, she has been a great addition to the Central Valley Team assisting in grant writing, helping complete construction contracts, and a broad host of fund raising activities on our behalf. While recognizing the need for more women leaders in the construction industry, Irene entered the team leader program in hopes of inspiring other women to compete within a traditionally male dominated field; on February 9, 2015, she earned her Team Leader designation.
Irene is the oldest daughter of two hardworking agricultural workers. The challenge of learning the English language did not deter her from pursuing an education. In fact, as a child she excelled in math and sciences and recently earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Fresno State. That said, Irene volunteered with Generation Green during high school. Generation Green (GG) is a Central California Consortium (CCC) sponsored program that provides environmental education and leadership opportunity to underserved rural and urban youth. The program provides role models/mentors, career training, and encouragement for higher education; all while exposing students to Forest Service careers. Irene was influenced by her parents’ agricultural background, and as a result of volunteer experiences with Generation Green; she developed an interest in environmental sustainability and passion for solar renewable energy.
Since 2010, Irene has been a member of the Sigma Omega Nu Sorority and has served the community through involvement with an array of organizations. In fact, Irene received a Student Scholarship Grant after completing 150 hours of community service per semester over a three year period. A recent graduate from CSU Fresno, Irene will be moving to Colorado in March to pursue her chosen career as a Civil Engineer. We are proud to see Irene move forward in her endeavors, and wish her nothing but the best of luck. Lookout Colorado!!
Irene’s favorite quote is from Albert Einstein, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” We will sure miss her!!