With all my love and gratitude, Jen Keller, MS

Wow, I am officially finished with graduate school!  At times I thought it would never end, but now that it has passed, it went by way too quick.  Bittersweet for sure.  I won't complain though, it has been so nice to have my nights and weekends back!  This past month has been busy with the holidays and vacation, but it is finally slowing down... And that is perfectly okay with me!

A lot of people have been curious about where my interest in the industry began and why I chose this particular program.  Honestly, I have to owe my interest in energy to my dad.  All growing up, he always fascinated me with his latest and greatest technologies from small wind turbines that powered his business to the first generation Toyota Prius.  The idea of clean energy technology and reducing our carbon footprint just made sense to me.

In my final year at Utah State, I really started to think about where I wanted my career to take me.  Pending a Bachelors in Business Administration, I really did not have a particular expertise i.e. accounting, marketing, finance, etc.  I was fortunate enough to have a marketing professor that helped me come to the realization of what I was truly passionate about... Energy.

Ed was a marketing professor and a documentary filmmaker that produced Wind Uprising and, more recently, Scaling Wind.  He co-authored a publication called "Green Marketing Myopia" that actually came up later in my graduate marketing class.  He is a advocate for wind and clean energy here in the state of Utah.  I always looked up to him because not only was he an amazing teacher, but he also demonstrated an ability to promote change for a more sustainable way of life.  

I still remember the conversation I had in his office about pursuing a career in energy.  Wow, I really could turn an interest I had growing up into a career path?  I knew I wanted to go on to get my Masters, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to pick a program that emphasizes in the industry.  I my opinion, regular MBA's have become too saturated and I wanted something that would be a little more unique.

That is when I found the program at the University of Colorado Denver.  The degree is a Masters in Global Energy Management.  In short, it is basically an MBA, but all the courses are focused on the energy industry i.e. energy accounting, energy finance, energy marketing, etc.  Compared to other energy programs, it covered the industry as a whole- everywhere from oil and gas to renewables and energy efficiency.  Perfect.

After Utah State, I was fortunate enough to get a job that brought Riley and I down to sunny St. George working with energy efficiency.  Insulation may not seem that exciting, but it is the first step toward reducing our carbon footprint.  What good is a solar system when the home or building it is powering is not already bundled up?  I worked for about a year before I started prepping for school.  During that period, I was involved with a biodiesel project which significantly broadened my perspective and experience.

In the spring of 2013, I was accepted to the program I had been working so hard to get into to and I started as apart of Cohort X July.  It was extremely challenging to get back into the swing of things, especially writing!!  Wow, it was as if I has never written an essay in my life!  Not to mention, my nights and weekends got pretty packed... pretty quick!

I have the utmost respect for my professors, most, if not all, were/are professionals in the industry.  There is a significant difference between those who teach and those who have truly walked the walk so they can talk the talk.  They were just the right amount of challenging- you may have cried from the workload, but man, you learned a lot.  I am grateful to have been exposed to their knowledge and expertise over the 18-month period.

I can't talk about the program without talking about my classmates because they played a crucial role in my learning experience at GEM.  Our class time in Denver was a true melting pot of bright minds coming together to learn and share experiences.  We came from all different fields- oil & gas, utilities, renewables, energy efficiency, etc- with different expertise- operations, analytics, sales, production, etc-and even from different countries- US, Canada, China, and Mexico.  When this melting pot came together, there was no doubt there would be some intense debates.  Of course, these were always in the spirit of good learning and an attempt to understand one another's views.  Most all of our coursework was done in groups and we spent countless nights on video conference.  Together, we all got through it.  I cannot explain how grateful I am for the people I encountered every day and the relationships that were formed.  I anxiously await our future reunions!

Shoutout to my Joules!  Love these ladies!

I have heard the criticism over and over that a degree is "just a piece of paper."  Well, I know it is more than that.  Beyond that piece of paper lies amazing people, increased knowledge, a demonstration that you can do hard things, and a better chance for a more secure future.

Now that the program is over, I wanted to record of few valuable lessons I learned:

1. Develop, Nourish, and Expand Your "Ecosystem"

This lesson was taught by one of my favorite professors, the only and only, Herb.  Our ecosystem is everything and everyone we encounter in our daily  lives.  This could be our family, our church, our job, our mentors, professional organizations we are apart of, volunteer opportunities, newspapers and magazines we read, etc. Herb stressed the importance of expanding your ecosystem  to add to your knowledge and experience.  Surely, we have all heard about the crucial role networking plays in our professional lives- it's all about who we know, right?  Since graduation, I have actively sought out new groups to join, read books that will help me become a more effective leader, etc.

"It is very crucial, in the modern world, to build these ecosystems. Synergy with the partners within the ecosystem will allow you to not only achieve the current goals, but also in a long run create a perpetual motion machine of ideas, projects and positive energy."

2. Know Yourself First

This is something that I wrote about in the past, but it is worth talking about again.  In order to be an effective leader and manage others, it is important to take a step back and truly understand the self first.  In other words, you have to know yourself before you can lead those around you.  Through a variety of self-assessments, we can gain some insight into the type of person we are and how we communicate with others.  Another important aspect to this is continually receiving feedback from others.  The responses you get can be extremely valuable.  Whether you are giving a presentation, involved in a negotiation, or implementing a new product line, feedback should always be solicited to develop a better understanding of our strengths and how we can bolster our weaknesses in the future.

If everyone truly understood their "True Self" and those around them, we would all be more effective communicators.  The more we know, the more potential we have to grow.

3. Energy Balancing Act

In the spring of 2011, I had the opportunity to attend the Renewable Energy Conference in SLC.  The conference was packed with valuable information about technology, finance, and legal aspects regarding renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, algae, etc.  Every presenter and advocate gave their all to sell you on why their resource was the best.  This is understandable when trying to sell a product, but one thing that I took out of this conference was how divided the industry is.  After the solar guys gave their presentation, the wind guys made sure to denounce why solar is not feasible.  

Of course, there is not one end-all-be-all sustainable, clean option.  If there was, everyone else would be wiped out by now.  The truth is, what the future of industry needs is a mix resources to help balance the pros and cons of each.  Oil and gas are finite resources, the sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow.  

Instead of constantly bringing one another down, it is vital to have an open, honest mind about the resources that are available to us and the new technologies coming online.  The only way to create a sustainable, economical way of life for future generations is if we all work together.  

Our cohort demonstrated this by being open to one another's ideas and taking a holistic approach to certain situations.  As I mentioned before, we all came in with different views about fossil fuels and renewable, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we walked out with a different or broadened point-of-view about the "other side."

4. Why Energy?

This morning, I woke up to the alarm clock on my phone charging on the wall, took a hot shower, heated my breakfast in the toaster oven, and had light with just a flip of the switch.  I went to work where I conducted business on my computer, communicated on the phone, and drove to complete different errands.  I ate food and wore clothing that were produced and transported from areas around the nation and even the world.  

So why choose the energy industry?  Energy fuels the way we go about our daily lives and global economic development.  In order to continue growing and nurturing a flourishing economy, we must find ways to consume more efficiently.

There are still many issues that face the industry today that leaders of tomorrow will need to solve: environmental concerns, economic issues, energy security and stability, energy accessibility, the talent gap, conservation, etc.  

I love the industry because the integral role it plays in people's lives around the world.  The opportunities to make a large impact on future generations are plentiful.

5. Never Stop Learning

I've said it before and I will say it again... I love school.  I really struggled when I graduated from USU because I didn't feel like I was progressing.  My thirst for more knowledge grew steadily.  It drives me insane when people exclude themselves from watching the news or reading the newspaper, but in order to grow a business in today's environment, you must understand what is happening around you.  By remaining updated on these current events, we can more effectively anticipate, strategize, and capitalize on certain issues.

As I have matured in my educational, personal, and professional experiences, I have been able to understand how I can continue to progress post-graduation.  Since graduation, I have finished two books and I am moving on to the third.  I understand the importance of continual improvement and self-education whether it is becoming an expert in my field, enhancing my leadership capabilities, or becoming a better wife and friend... It can never stop.

"Never stop learning because life never stops teaching."

                                                        -Unknown

Finally, I want to thank all my family and friends that supported me during my time in school.  I may have been late on a few birthday gifts here and there, or I may have missed some fun outings, but I am grateful for everyone's understanding.  Thank you mom and Laura for the endless amounts of Starbuck gift cards that got me through late-night studying.  By the way, you can still keep them coming!! ;)

Last but not least, I need to thank my husband.  What an incredible support he was from start to finish.  Not only was he my shoulder to cry on when I thought I would fail finance and law, but he always picked up at home where I left off.  Through this experience, he has demonstrated how extremely patient, loving, and devoted he really is.  Thanks for sticking by me and rooting me on every step of the way.  I couldn't do this life without you.

Whatever you do in life, decide what you want, set goals, and go out there and make it happen.

With all my love and gratitude,

Jen Keller, MS