Meet The Forum Team: Sarah Heebe
Sarah Heebe is currently a junior at Yale College, pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Studies with an Energy Studies Certificate. You may already know her by her large involvement on campus, as an Ambassador with CBEY and now Student Writer role with the Clean Energy Forum, a research assistant under Dr. Hazari’s lab, a founding member of the Renewable Energy Alliance club, or even your chemistry peer tutor. What others may not know is that her favorite color is blue, with no specific shade, and she speaks about her impressive portfolio with humility and authenticity.
Sarah’s Background:
She comes from New Orleans, Louisiana, where a large part of her upbringing influenced her motivations in pursuing environmentalism. The area is coastal; the ocean, swamps, marshes, and all, this aspect being fundamental towards Sarah’s upbringing.
Sarah: “When you’re from a place that’s so naturally beautiful, you have a stronger motivation to preserve it. That’s my theory, I’m kind of testing it out”
She mentions her early interests in history, political science, natural science, and an urge to create a real-world impact which, over time, became the perfect combination for studying Environmental Studies.
Why Renewable Energy?
Aside from our shared agreement that energy is ‘cool’ and an integral aspect of everything within our daily lives, Sarah also mentions the effect of growing up with the prevalence of gas and oil industries in Louisiana and witnessing the impact it had on the community around her. Further, Louisiana’s geography created a hub for renewable energy sources such as hydropower and solar power, another factor in narrowing Sarah’s interests toward energy.
Throughout Undergrad
Sarah has indulged in various aspects of energy throughout her years at Yale, whether that may be from research, policy, or technical applications. With an initial interest in chemistry, she started off as a chemistry major and debuted her role as a research assistant under the Hazari Lab. Although enjoyable, she wanted a change of pace and scenery, leading her to spend this past summer in D.C. as an intern at the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. There, she conducted policy research and worked alongside congressional staff. After experimenting with policy, Sarah developed the urge for more hands-on work, leaning into the developmental and technical aspect of energy, and is now her current focus.
When I asked the reason for this pivot, she conveyed a certain satisfaction in being able to “see the fruit of your labor”, a newfound motivation for her prospective projects.
In Her Free Time
Reconnecting with her interests in history, Sarah likes to frequent museums when given the chance. She also mentions an estranged love for reading, and with enough free time, it’s one of the things she picks up.
Amongst all of her hobbies, however, she tends to photography the most. A hobby she began in quarantine by watching YouTube videos, she now is the photographer for the Yale Scientific magazine and the Christian Union Lux.
Sandy: “What’s your favorite thing to capture?”
Sarah: “I used to do landscapes, so nature. But, ever since being at Yale, I capture a lot of people, which brings me joy when I’m looking back at pictures”
Moving Forward
As co-president of The Renewable Future Alliance Club, she is currently finalizing an ongoing project concerning thermal energy networks that can be used to heat surrounding buildings. Currently, her plans to expand this project to New Haven’s local community and potentially Yale’s Campus.