Career Center

Becky Andert

The $110,000 Intern

As an intern with Habitat for Humanity in Rice Lake, WI last summer, Becky Andert's hard work literally paid off when she secured a $110,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources. The grant was rewarded as funding for a new project to reduce construction waste material.

Upon conducting extensive research and consulting with industry professionals, Becky (English ’08) discovered that 70 percent of landfill items are actually reusable construction materials. Armed with this information, she developed a proposal for a ReStore-a construction materials resale store whose profits are allocated toward Habitat for Humanity. Since opening in February, the ReStore has created a community network to reduce the amount of construction material in landfills.

As part of the internship, Becky spent time promoting the benefits of this new project to often-reluctant construction companies and community members whose support would be vital to the ReStore's success. Then she crunched the numbers and wrote a business plan for the ReStore.

The internship had a positive impact all around. While Becky gained valuable real-world experience and a sense of fulfillment, Habitat for Humanity ended up with an impressive grant and a business plan for the ReStore, while the entire Rice Lake community has benefited upon the store's opening.