Class of 2020 First-Year Fellow: Jenna Salvay '20

Jenna Salvay ’20 comes from Palos Verdes Estates, California and graduated from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School as an AP Scholar with Distinction and recipient of the Wellesley book award. Throughout high school, Jenna volunteered as a youth soccer coach and a reading and writing tutor. In addition, Jenna played on her club soccer team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. She also participated in high school organizations, such as Link Crew, Walk for Life Ambassadors, and Principle’s Advisory Committee.

At Dartmouth, Jenna plans to pursue a major in Economics with a minor in Public Policy and Environmental Studies. She is a member of the Dartmouth Women’s Club soccer team, volunteer for SIBS, a one-on-one mentor program, and participates in sustainability efforts on campus.

As a First-Year Fellow, Jenna interned at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) under the mentorship of Tom Kiernan ’81. As an executive office intern, Jenna worked on investigating viable funding strategies for wind-wildlife research and put together a final report with her findings at the end of the summer. As part of her research, she conducted a series of interviews, speaking with distinguished members both within and beyond the wind industry, such as interviewing the environmental director at Duke Energy Corporation.

According to Jenna, “My favorite part of the fellowship experience was having the opportunity to visit a wind facility in Pennsylvania. Seeing the actual operation and hearing the wind turbine technicians and engineers speak about their experiences within the industry showed me how valuable my internship has been and how important wind energy is for America’s electricity grid. Being able to witness the success of that specific wind facility and knowing that there are hundreds more just like it, pushed me to work harder at my job and create a final product that I was really proud of. Going in the field created a tangible experience; it was unforgettable."

After graduation, Jenna plans to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector before attending business school to work towards sustainable consulting.