Around the Christmas of ’25 my father sent me a documentary, as he often does, that I didn’t have time to listen to amid finals. It was not until I returned home for break that I listened to what the commentators had to say about the rise of the data center industry and its effects on communities. Deeply interested, I began to dig deeper. Around this time I was submitting essay applications for government internships (for reference, I study Political Science and Business here at Geneva College) when I recognized a pattern: the prompts generally revolved around the data center industry and leveraging young minds for suggestions on avenues for circumventing negative community impacts without decelerating industry progress. I sensed a growing political urgency in the dialog to find solutions, and it intrigued me.

After a month of research and conversations with organization leaders from different grassroots coalitions pushing back against data campuses, I felt I had sufficiently scratched the surface of an unbelievably complex political quagmire. That is how I found Aquatech International. An internship in Aquatech’s government relations department became available, and through a Geneva reference I got the job. I realized I did not want to work in a Representative’s office quite yet but wanted to taste Pennsylvania’s industrial base so I threw myself into the world of water‑cooling technology, critical mineral extraction, desalination, and PFAS destruction. The more I learned from government regulators, policy initiatives, and the international stage, the more I wanted to stay in the water industry. It wasn’t just data centers anymore; I realized this precious commodity touches every sphere of our working world and must be stewarded well.

At Aquatech I assisted with maintaining domestic and international relations with policymakers, government agencies, and industry leaders. Our team hosted official government visits to company headquarters in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which included the Department of Commerce and the EXIM Bank. I was also able to research policies and federal grants that would affect the company. Something I will take with me to future jobs is analytical work‑assessment skills. Being able to ask, “Is this the best thing I could be doing, and am I doing it wisely?” can be a tremendous asset to a team, and my boss taught me how to do this well.

My internship at Aquatech provided an experience that draws me farther from my initial plans to go to law school and points me toward industry. Building a strong industrial base and critically assessing the impact an industry will have on the community is a task worth tackling and crucial for our nation’s foundational structure—the family. “This is a matter of national security,” I would sometimes tell myself as I sat down at my desk for both simple tasks and those of larger importance. My company’s smallest efforts today may have significant outcomes in the water industry, impacting families, counties, cities, states, and beyond.

To college students looking for internships, I recommend channeling your inner conversationalist and asking questions. My passion has provided me with important connections simply by looking people in the eye and asking about their work. I know the Lord has prepared me well for the future by surrounding me with people who think differently than I do but that share a passion for doing good.