It’s the dream of every student to get a job in the field of their dreams. GreenLight Solutions Foundation’s very own Meghan Marshall has done that! Meghan is working with Generated Materials Recovery (GMR) in Phoenix, Arizona as a client development researcher. Her connection with GMR was made thanks to Renee Teper, GMR’s national client development specialist, reaching out to GreenLight Solutions Foundation after the presentation by Meghan’s team for their project in 2020. Meghan worked with Utopia Smart City (now named EverSmart City), proposing plans to help with reaching the organization’s sustainability goals of a sustainable community.
Meghan is a senior at Arizona State University studying to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability. Her focus is on reducing the production of waste and decreasing overall consumption. She has decided to focus her degree in sustainable food systems and cross-sector collaboration; As the American Public Health Association (APHA) puts it, a method of having multiple organizations in an area work together in order to solve issues (2020). She also continues to work with Greenlight Solutions and is spending time this semester as a project lead for the SPS+ Architects’ project.
GMR has impressive goals and functions; They focus on industrial recycling services by coordinating with companies throughout the United States to take in waste materials to recycle, rather than ship off to the landfill. Some of the materials they recycle include, but are not limited to: mattresses, polystyrene foam, dairy production facility waste, and packaging materials from manufacturers. To have companies request these services, GMR has a pretty straight-forward process of simply requesting information, meeting with the company to set goals and plans, and then following through with implementation. GMR personalizes the approach for each situation with each unique company.
Time to find out more about Meghan’s experiences with GLSF and GMR! She was able to answer some questions to help us gain insight on what she’s done with Greenlight Solutions, what she’s currently doing with GMR, and what she plans to do in the future. Let’s learn!
- What would you say has been your favorite part of Greenlight Solutions Foundation?
- “From my time with GFSL, I’ve enjoyed having opportunities to connect with students who share the same passions and interests as I have as well as establish a lasting impact in the sustainability community. The past projects with TinyHouse Developers, EverSmart City, and SPS+ Architects granted me the opportunity to apply the knowledge I learned in the classroom to the real world. I am grateful to have found my passion with this organization.”
- What personal or professional skills that you learned from your time with Greenlight, have you been able to utilize in your career?
- “After having experience as both a team member and project lead, I’ve developed and strengthened project coordination, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and task management skills in my professional life. With SPS+ Architects, I’ve learned how to collaborate with executives of Arizona businesses by consulting with them to improve their waste management system. When I worked with EverSmart City, I led my team to research sustainable building materials for the city’s infrastructure. These experiences have allowed me to gain confidence in my everyday life, which has allowed me to establish and solidify valuable professional and personal relationships.”
- “After having experience as both a team member and project lead, I’ve developed and strengthened project coordination, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and task management skills in my professional life. With SPS+ Architects, I’ve learned how to collaborate with executives of Arizona businesses by consulting with them to improve their waste management system. When I worked with EverSmart City, I led my team to research sustainable building materials for the city’s infrastructure. These experiences have allowed me to gain confidence in my everyday life, which has allowed me to establish and solidify valuable professional and personal relationships.”
- What does a typical day at GMR look like?
- “My day at GMR includes searching for companies that produce recyclable materials, such as corrugated cardboard, paper, and polyurethane foam. In this process, I identify decision-makers in these companies so GMR can reach out to provide reliable solutions for clients to achieve sustainability goals by diverting waste from landfills.”
- Where would you like to see GMR 10 years from now?
- “I hope to see GMR expand to large and small organizations from across the United States to divert more materials away from landfills.”
- What are some goals or aspirations that you have for your future?
- “After graduating from ASU, I aspire to explore cross-sector collaboration and consulting, especially within the American food system, where I can bring organizations together to restore a healthy relationship between people, food, and the planet.”
Although she’s busy as a student and working on the side, we are so glad that Meghan is still able to spend some time with Greenlight. She’s the project lead on the SPS+ Architects project this term, and the group is looking great and working hard. We will be having the Solutioneer Showcase on December 2nd where you will be able to see what Meghan’s team, multiple other teams, and what Greenlight Solutions Foundation is all about.
Written by: Katelyn Cashman
“I’m a proud environmentalist with a passion for the planet, leadership, communication, and problem solving. Lifelong experience working with others through Scouting and leadership programs to accomplish a variety of goals has set me up with a lot of skills and passions, including problem solving with groups of people, which has led me to GreenLight Solutions Foundation.”
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