This week gave me my first look at the Department of Energy (DOE). Although my work has not yet fully started, I have begun to understand the role that I will play this summer and the environment that I will be learning from.
Walking into the Department of Energy for the first time felt incredibly baffling. Though I was only getting my fingerprints scanned and retrieving my badge, I stood in awe of everything
before me. The badge, the security, the quiet movement of people through the building, and the feeling that there was something important behind every door made me more curious about the organization I was joining. Once outside of the building again on my first day, I walked across the street to the Smithsonian Castle and thought, “Something is intriguing about entering a place where so much is happening behind the scenes, even if most people may never see it directly.”
Although I haven’t started my placement yet, I have a clear idea of what I will be doing this summer. Within the Office of International Affairs, I will be helping with resource and budget management by making documents easier to organize, locate, and understand, which may be simple, but will be useful in developing the attention to detail I know will matter next summer in NYC when I enter banking.
I am also excited because I want to meet people across the DOE and learn about roles I never knew existed. Even in the first few days, I have noticed how different people arrive at this kind of work through different paths. Some are focused on policy, others on budgets, international relationships, or day-to-day systems that keep operations intact. Seeing that range has intrigued me in asking people how they got here and what their role looks like beyond the surface. What stands out to me most so far is how much there is to learn just by being observant. I am entering my placement with curiosity, and I want to keep that mindset throughout the summer.
Blog Author: Freddy Bautista-Molina – Class of 2026
Published on July 2, 2026