This article is part of a series on Innovative Internships.
Having graduated this spring from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a major in political science, Jesse Cassuto ’17 has his eyes set on a career in renewable-energy entrepreneurship, helping the carbon-intensive commercial and residential real estate industry transition to more sustainable options. “One of the keys to stopping climate change is to streamline the sector, and make it carbon neutral or negative,” he says.
He continues to make progress on his path, after two recent internships in the political sphere, and one, during his junior year, as a financial analyst at a Barcelona real estate investment firm. Following a stint as a legislative intern for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer as a sophomore, this January he became a national press intern with Schumer’s office. Both political internships gave him valuable experience, everything from attending hearings and analyzing bills to summarizing press coverage and assembling news stories for Schumer to share with his staff.
“My favorite aspect of being a legislative intern was the opportunity to attend hearings on important issues facing this country, as well as to sit in on meetings with the industry leaders committed to making that change,” he says. “The field of politics and policy making is interesting, because it sits at the intersection of so many different industries—nowhere is that more evident than on Capitol Hill.”
In October, he moved closer to his goal, beginning a job as investment relations manager at a health-tech startup called Legrande Health. “I hope the experiences and skills I’m gaining now,” he says, “will help me to make a difference in our environment in the future.”