Environmental studies major is ‘prepared for anything’
With the renewable energy experience she gained at Carolina, Rhenna Hatton got a job with a Durham company focused on sustainability.
Rhenna Hatton is living proof that Carolina offers countless opportunities to not only pursue but excel at one’s passions.
In her four years in Chapel Hill, the senior environmental studies major has excelled in her academics, worked for the Campus Y’s Global Gap Year Fellowship and served as the finance chair for SolarEquity, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering North Carolina communities through the solarization of affordable housing.
On Dec. 14, she’ll receive her diploma at Winter Commencement.
“Carolina has really given me a lot of opportunities,” Hatton said. “It gave me the pathway to pursue renewable energy, which I’m so grateful for.”
Environmental studies weren’t on her mind when she arrived at Carolina.
She grew up in Charlotte and attended Northwest School of the Arts, where she served as a technical adviser for school theater productions. Hatton exclusively applied to art schools until her father asked her to consider one school that offered more than just arts.
She went with Carolina.
“I realized I wanted to apply myself in something beyond theater,” Hatton said. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do at Carolina, but I knew that it would give me opportunities to discover.”
What she discovered was a passion for the environment. After choosing to major in environmental studies, Hatton realized her technical background provided opportunities to explore renewable energy — a field that soon became her focus.
During her sophomore year, Hatton received the Campus Y’s Global Gap Year Fellowship, which allowed her to pursue research and philanthropic work centered on sustainability around the world. From lobbying for environmental causes in Estonia to studying water cleanliness in Poland to working with a sustainability consulting company in Thailand, Hatton gained a broad education in global sustainability efforts.
“It was genuinely a wonderful experience that had me grow in this really independent way,” Hatton said. “And once I came back, I was able to work for the fellowship team, coordinating cohorts and delivering impact reports.”
While abroad, Hatton spoke with another student about her passion for energy equity — ensuring that individuals and families with lower incomes have access to clean energy sources — and was introduced to SolarEquity.
Its mission resonated with her, and she soon found herself writing grants for the nonprofit as its finance chair.
“A lot of our work is focused on pouring directly into the community around Chapel Hill,” Hatton said. “Yes, it’s being run by students, but we’re doing real work.”
Some of that work includes raising money. Thanks to coordination by the team, SolarEquity brought in $20,000 for its mission during the most recent SolarStrides, a 5K race sponsored by the organization.
Hatton’s work with SolarEquity caught the attention of the recruiting team at FlexGen, a Durham-based battery storage company focused on sustainability. An intern with the company this past year, Hatton will work there full time after graduation.
“I’ll be working in a program management lens,” Hatton said. “Battery storage will play an increasingly important role as we transition to more renewable energy and meet rising electricity demand, so that everyday people continue to have reliable power.”
It’s a new chapter for Hatton, but as she prepares to graduate, she feels that Carolina has instilled in her the skills she needs to succeed.
“I think Carolina prepared me for so much through great courses, teachers and the overall campus environment,” Hatton said. “It gives you the ability to feel like you can be prepared for anything.”
