Graduation to Vocation: Emerson Barnhill is Bringing Sustainability to Businesses

Emerson Barnhill is graduating with an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Materials and Technology with a minor in Business Administration and Environmental Science. She also swam on the Varsity team all four years and spent her senior year as a team captain. After graduation, she will move to Houston, Texas to become an Investment Banking Analyst with the Energy Group in J.P. Morgan Chase.

How has the College of Natural Resources impacted you and prepared you for your future?

CNR exposes me to the real-life intersection of sustainable practices and business and sparked the curiosity that I have about how sustainable practices can be furthered through the growth of businesses.

What’s your favorite memory or class from your time at the College of Natural Resources? Why?

Dr. Kelley always brought in great guest speakers for his Green Building course. Through a guest lecture, I found out about the Social Innovation Fellowship opportunity at NC State. This program provided me with the opportunity to get real-world experience solving sustainability-related problems in society with business solutions. After completing this program, I knew that I wanted to develop a career focused on that mission. In a roundabout way, it is this moment that was the start of my path to J.P. Morgan.

What is unique about your work?

I will have the opportunity to learn how the biggest business in the world grow and influence the economy.

What motivated you to pursue your work?

I hope to shape the way big businesses approach sustainable practices with my career.

What advice would you give students entering your major or field?

Put in the effort to know your professors. Take advantage of opportunities that are not required. They can be as valuable as your credit hour classes, if not more valuable. Focus on what sparks your curiosity and excites you, instead of what you think you are supposed to do. I started college trying to force myself into an engineering box. When I was honest with myself, my passion area was sustainable business. Once I started chasing my passion driven goals, I found much more rewarding success.