It was the middle of May in the heart of New Orleans. Sweat was seeping through my polo and the speakers at Jazz Fest were so loud I could barely hear myself think. Just before Luke Combs took the stage, the President of Shell’s Midstream Division asked me “Do you know how to play chess?” It was hot and the environment was distracting, but that conversation not only provided insights into the strategic abilities it takes to be an effective change maker in a large industry, but it set the tone for my summer internship at Enbridge, a Fortune 500 energy company with assets all across the globe.

Enbridge, one of North America’s largest energy transmitters, faces the unique challenge of aligning regulatory compliance with long-term strategic sustainability across everything in its business, from pipelines to renewables. As a Public Affairs and Communications, Sustainability, and External Affairs Intern at Enbridge’s Washington D.C. office, I had the unique opportunity to work at the intersection of internal strategy and external engagement. I supported efforts ranging from corporate sustainability benchmarking to tracking federal regulations and engaging with policymakers on Capitol Hill. I was exposed to a wide range of subjects and challenges this summer, but the lessons I will carry forward can be simplified into three main points: change takes time, the ability to take data and turn it into strategic decisions is paramount to being an effective change maker, and how I can provide value to others is more important than how others can provide value to me.

The first lesson I learned is actually best exemplified in how I obtained my internship with Enbridge. Although I am now going into my fourth year of my undergraduate degree, the process of actually obtaining the internship began three years ago when I first enrolled in NC State. Upon entering my first year, I had an aptitude for understanding environmental systems, and I wanted to apply this understanding to high environmental impact industries. In my first year at NC State, I was fortunate enough to be connected to the Chief Sustainability Officer of Enbridge, which provided the opportunity for me to network and offered valuable insights as to where opportunities for me in the industry might be.

Around my sophomore year, the prospect of an internship at Enbridge was proposed. However, at that point in time, Enbridge had never had a sustainability or government affairs intern before, and the internal infrastructure and logistical know-how was lacking. As such, the internship for my sophomore year fell through. Despite these challenges, the idea for me interning at Enbridge was mutually beneficial and both the company and myself stayed committed to making the idea work. Thus, after another years’ worth of effort and development on both our ends, I was given my official offer letter and my internship began. Through this process, I learned that change takes time, but patience and a willingness of all parties can yield positive results.

Another lesson I learned while at Enbridge is that producing data and making strategic decisions with that data are two different skills, and the ability to do both is paramount to leading change within the energy industry. For example, in the corporate world, sustainability reporting is how companies publicly share their environmental and social data, from emissions to community investment. This data is used by investors to consider the risk in investing in a certain company based on different statistics. The specifics of sustainability reporting, including what information needs to be disclosed and how that information needs to be disclosed is rather dynamic and changes from year to year. As such, the ability to aggregate and communicate data is paramount to investor relations and a difficult task in and of itself. However, when the sustainability reports, data, and forms are published and submitted, the only thing that has changed internally within a company is what information it discloses.

After assisting in this sustainability reporting process and providing extensive benchmarking work for Enbridge, the discrepancy between data and decisions became clear. I helped collect the data and even found ways to streamline the process by leveraging the use of artificial intelligence. However, I still found that the extent of reporting was limited to the data it produced. This is where the ability to make strategic decisions based on that data comes into play. Although at the end of the day, data, specifically in the context of sustainability disclosures, is just numbers on a page, it provides valuable insights into the gaps and shortcomings within a company. As such, being able to make strategic decisions based on evaluated data, as well as other factors such as returns on investment and practicality behind a certain initiative, is not only a different skill, but necessary to being effective at bringing about positive change in the energy industry.

Last, and arguably the most important lesson I have learned with my internship at Enbridge is that how I provide value is more important than what value I am provided. Everything from thoughtful questions to going above and beyond on deliverables and tasks can show promise, intellectual capability, dependability, and a high-performing mindset that would make me an asset for anyone I interact with. This mindset has and will continue to create opportunities for me to have impact at high levels across industry.

This summer has taught me that real change, whether in policy, sustainability, or leadership, starts with people who understand both the complexity of the system and their place within it. I learned that success in this space doesn’t come from waiting for something to happen, but from intent and a willingness to be creative and add value. I will carry these lessons forward as I prepare for my future career, whether that be graduate school for a professional master’s degree or to go straight into a job and use my knowledge for direct applications within companies like Enbridge. I am fortunate in that I am in no shortage of opportunity, in large part thanks to NC State, I just need to take the initiative to take advantage of it. And somewhere between now and the day I shape high-level environmental decisions, I will learn to play chess.