Fletcher Student Grace Valvano’s Reenergizing Summer at Solect
Raised in southern New Hampshire, Grace Valvano grew up outdoors, riding horses and watching winters turn erratic. Those early signs of climate change spurred her interest in sustainability. At the University of Kentucky, she studied Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science, expecting to enter law. Courses in agricultural economics changed her mind: business, not the courtroom, seemed to drive faster environmental outcomes. Fletcher’s MIB program offered the policy, business, and sustainability mix she sought—plus a January start that allowed two summers of internships.
A pivotal moment came during her first semester at Fletcher. Professor Rockford Weitz’s Global Maritime Affairs course devoted a day to energy, reframing the sector as the most direct way to marry sustainability and opportunity. “Rocky’s class really inspired me,” Grace recalls. The course led to research on renewable and “blue energy” in New England, sharpening her sense that energy policy was no longer abstract debate but imminent transformation.
Grace was ready to turn her inspiration into a summer well spent. Fletcher’s MIB mentorship program proved decisive. Guided by a mentor working in California solar, Grace discovered the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center job board. That link led to Solect, a Massachusetts solar company focused on rooftop arrays, carports, and EV charging. “The mentorship program was crucial—it showed me where to look,” she says.
Marketing the Energy Transition
At Solect, Grace joined the marketing team, applying creativity to hard business needs. She designed LinkedIn graphics, newsletters, and event materials, and built a six-month content calendar after analysing the firm’s previous posts. Her Fletcher training provided another edge. “I was more aware of the policy and the energy space,” Grace says.
The summer’s most vivid lesson came not at a desk but inside a turbine. Invited by parent company Pattern Energy to Texas, Grace toured a wind farm and saw solar projects repurposing warehouses and brownfields. “Standing inside a turbine, seeing renewable energy at that scale, was unforgettable,” she says. The trip reinforced that the energy transition was not theory but tangible infrastructure spreading across landscapes. “It was very empowering to see that renewable energy is actually happening.”
During her internship, Grace continuously recalled a lesson from Ken Pucker’s Sustainable Business course: “Sustainability solutions only work if they’re the financially better option—some people choose solar because they care, but for most it has to make economic sense.”
Reenergizing a Career Path
Grace advises fellow Fletcher students—especially January-starts—to balance coursework with career building. “Don’t let assignments crowd out applications,” she counsels. “Even one a day adds up.” For her, the synthesis of academic inspiration, structured mentorship, and applied industry work was crucial.
Her next steps involve deepening technical competence, such as Geographic Information Systems, also known as GIS, while considering consulting roles after seeing consultants shape Solect’s communications. She remains fixed on the energy sector, convinced it represents both the scale of challenge and the scale of opportunity she seeks.