From “Nature Nerd” to Empowered Environmentalist
Charlotte Dorn is turning her love of nature into meaningful action.
Before Carolina
Summers at a local environmental center sparked Charlotte Dorn’s love of nature. She decided she wanted to solve environmental issues but she didn’t know where to start.
First focus at Carolina
Computer science with an emphasis on robotics and technology.
Lightbulb moment
After exploring her major, Charlotte wanted a sense of greater purpose. She experienced life in a commune in South Korea where she learned more about solar energy and its impact. Now she’s added a minor in sustainability, which she believes will enable her to put theory into action.
Things coming together
Charlotte’s time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity piqued her interest in building things and led her to explore the applied sciences and engineering minor. Since then, she’s gotten comfortable cutting steel and wood in Carolina makerspaces as she’s explored different ideas in sustainable energy. She’s even built an off-grid energy system, connecting solar panels to battery storage to create renewable, portable power.
What’s next
Charlotte looks forward to using what she’s learned in the classroom – from physics to engineering to environmental advocacy – to make advances in solar technology after she graduates from Carolina.