Courtney Harnun - Memorial University of Newfoundland

I am an electrical engineering student attending Memorial University of Newfoundland. I will be graduating in May 2019. My academic interests lie primarily within power engineering, more specifically within power systems and utilities. Outside of academics, I am an avid cyclist and I enjoy reading and art.

I initially chose to study engineering because I did not really know what I wanted to do as a career. I was good at math and science so I figured engineering would be a good for me. I had no idea which discipline I wanted to study (in my first year I wanted to study mechanical engineering). I had always liked renewable energy and wanted to study it more, so it was recommended that I study electrical engineering. Once in the electrical program, I realized that I loved it, and began looking at the various power engineering courses I could study.

I love the power engineering field because I know that the work I do will affect and benefit many people for years to come. Being able to help create sustainable and renewable sources of energy will help to prolong our time on this planet in the midst of the climate change happening so rapidly.

How has been selected as a PES Scholar impacted you?

Being selected as a PES Scholar means a great deal to me. I've always been interested in power engineering, and being recognized for that interest means a lot. The PES scholarship will allow me to continue to study within my interest area so that in the future I can change the way we approach energy and help create sustainable and renewable energy sources.