2019 Simar Kandola
Operation Minerva 2019
By Simar Kandola
In this picture I am the first from the left (the tallest one )
Although I am still young and unsure of what I may do in the future, I have always been quite sure that somewhere along the line I would put my passion for Maths forward. It can be quite scary at this age to be asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, because there are so many possibilities, and who knows how it will all turn out? My stomach turns when I think of my future. What if I’m not capable of pursuing my dreams? What will it be like at work? What if I change my mind halfway through my studies? What courses should I take to succeed in school? The worries go on and on, and I haven’t had a person in my life to ever help me find answers to these abiding questions. Before Operation Minerva, I didn’t even know what STEM careers were all about, but my experience at KCP Energy has really opened my eyes and helped clear out my mind, and I am already feeling more reassured about my future.
Prior to being invited at KCP Energy (a solar energy company), I had always had the broad idea that I would do something relating to the Maths in my career, since it has long been my passion to problem solve, discover, and apply my skills to the real world. I had never given much thought to solar energy, how it worked, or its importance. Since KCP however, I have learned so much about how solar energy works, and how it is really helping the world.
We live in a time where global warming and climate change are an ongoing problem, and solar energy is one of the many ways that we are saving the planet so that girls like me can have a healthy and safe future. Today, when fossil fuels (the most common source of energy) are used to create electricity, they release harmful greenhouse gases that destroy our ozone layer, the layer that keeps the sun from overheating our planet. If we completely break our ozone layer, our Earth could be uninhabitable due to the heat and sea levels. These words about global warming have been said countless times in schools, presentations, and advertisements, but we as a society have still not done a very good job taking in this information and making an impact to save our only planet. KCP energy has really inspired me and showed me that we need to take action to save Earth as soon as possible, and there are many ways to do so. KCP has installed solar panels for so many homes and schools, and are a huge contribution to saving our planet from extinction. We even visited the home of a customer, and her story and words have really inspired me to also help out in making a change in our world. Although the customer has a bit of an expensive passion project to do her part, she has still given me an idea on what I can do to help. Whether it be through using less energy when I can’t use a renewable source, reduce my use of plastic, or even spread awareness about global warming, I have a very different perception on the world with this new understanding of solar energy.
Moving forward, I am definitely going to be doing my part in using renewable sources and cutting down on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and I owe a lot of my new attitude to my experience at KCP energy. It is another way for me to help problem solve and apply what I know to the real world, which is a main part of my passion. When it comes to my career, I am also very inspired by seeing a female in the STEM industry as my mentor. Darby McGraw (my mentor) has accomplished a lot in her job as an engineer. She answered some of my questions about studies, taught me even more about solar energy, and has definitely helped cleared up the fog that has been covering my future.
Enlightened and inspired, I have quite a clear route that I’m thinking of for the future. I am feeling relieved about my studies and have made the clear decision to help Earth through what I learned about KCP energy. Darby McGraw has inspired me as a female to pursue a STEM career, and I know that whatever I end up doing in life, I will always remember what I experienced at KCP energy and through Operation Minerva. I cannot show enough gratitude towards my mentor for what she taught me that day, and I can’t help but say one big thank you to everyone who has organized Operation Minerva as a way to inspire many girls for their futures.
