alumni news
INNOVATIVE INTERNSHIPS Four recent grads are using their skills to change the world— while undergoing an alchemy all their own—BY KATE LAWLESS
The Business of Wine Toward a Green Future
Having graduated this spring from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a major in political science, Jesse Cassuto ’17 has his eyes set on a career in renewable-energy entrepreneurship, helping the carbon-intensive commercial and residential real estate industry transition to more sustainable options. “One of the keys to stopping climate change is to streamline the sector, and make it carbon neutral or negative,” he says. He continues to make progress on his path, after two recent internships in the political sphere, and one, during his junior year, as a financial analyst at a Barcelona real estate investment firm. Following a stint as a legislative intern for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer as a sophomore, this January he became a national press intern with Schumer’s office. Both political internships gave him valuable experience, everything from attending hearings and analyzing bills to summarizing press coverage and assembling news stories for Schumer to share with his staff. “My favorite aspect of being a legislative intern was the opportunity to attend hearings on important issues facing this country, as well as to sit in on meetings with the industry leaders committed to making that change,” he says. “The field of politics and policy making is interesting, because it sits at the intersection of so many different industries—nowhere is that more evident than on Capitol Hill.” In October, he moved closer to his goal, beginning a job as investment relations manager at a health-tech startup called Legrande Health. “I hope the experiences and skills I’m gaining now,” he says, “will help me to make a difference in our environment in the future.” 22 WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL
While interning as a chemist at wine producer E. & J. Gallo, Molly Zawacki ’17 has enjoyed going out into the vineyard to pick grapes. Studying them, she says, helps her learn what affects the taste and smell of different wines. “I love the variety of things that I do for my internship,” she says. “There is a great balance of hands-on work and more logical data analysis.” And what exactly does chemistry have to do with making wine? The process of winemaking is focused on chemical engineering, Zawacki explains. “This includes processes such as distillation, fermentation, and genetic analysis,” she notes, practices and techniques she learned while a chemical engineering major at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated in spring 2021. Zawacki’s primary project while at Gallo’s main campus in Modesto, California, has been analyzing the genetics of different grape varieties. Her six-month internship ends in December. While her love of chemistry remains, she’s discovered new interests while at Gallo—and now plans to pursue an M.B.A. “I have learned a lot about the corporate world and what drives innovation,” she says. “There are lots of different projects going on at Gallo, and it has been very interesting to see the motivation for these projects. For example, the California fires have been a large problem for winemakers, and I’ve learned how corporate businesses grow and adapt to overcome a challenge such as that. I have also learned that while I love the rudimentary science work, I want to transition into the business side of things to help find a solution to those challenges myself.”
