Jenna Trytten

My name is Jenna Trytten and I’m honored to be one of the first recipients of the 1000Women4STEM award.

I’m enrolled in NorQuest’s Energy Management program. The program’s interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on skills and knowledge needed to measure and evaluate energy usage, design energy efficiency policies and procedures that improve current practices, and create models of energy usage for current and future buildings.

We are learning about innovative and emerging technology trends, such as renewable electricity generation, microgeneration and cogeneration, resource policy management, and emissions reduction strategies. The program is the first of its kind in Canada and was developed in consultation with energy industry professionals locally and nationally to satisfy a growing need for energy and decarbonization specialists.

The program’s unique and pioneering position makes me feel like an academic explorer: charting new paths to energy conservation and leading the way to a future of clean energy. In this expanding industry, my future career will shape energy sustainability policies that encourage communities like Edmonton to embrace cleaner and more efficient ways to utilize and conserve energy that we produce.

The best part of the program is the accomplished and knowledgeable instructors. Recruited from various industries for this specific program, they bring real-world experience and limitless enthusiasm to the classroom. It has been inspirational and immensely rewarding to learn from experts in their fields that have a passion for improving how energy is generated and used, as well as for reducing carbon emissions and their effects on the atmosphere.

As a part of the 1000Women4STEM award, recipients are assigned female mentors to support and guide them through the various STEM fields. We are matched to our mentor through personality characteristics, industry experience, and potential career paths for the mentees.

Being newer to the STEM field, working with my mentor has been an amazing opportunity and it has helped me navigate through a male-dominated industry. My mentor has and continues to motivate me, listen to my concerns, and be a support system on this journey.

I am humbled to be a recipient of the 1000Women4STEM award. This type of concrete investment in students like me creates a sense of self-assurance because we are supported by an organization that believes in our abilities to make a difference in our community and strive for impactful careers. It is a great privilege to be bestowed this prestigious award, especially from a group of female leaders who believe that, through empowerment and collaboration, together we can create environments of inclusion where all women, in STEM or any industry, feel respected and heard.

While I am in the position of recipient now, I hope to be a part of the 1000Women organization in the future, especially after experiencing the life-changing effects firsthand.

Again, thank you for your contributions to this meaningful organization that changes the lives of women. I endeavor to be worthy of this generosity and trust, and I will amplify this award into a career that creates a cleaner and more sustainable energy environment for all.