A Few Words About Our Intern

The Four Rivers Charter Public School has a really cool internship program for 11th graders. The students are basically charged with identifying, approaching, and planning for 5 days of full-time work at a business of their choice. Every spring since we opened, Evergreen has hosted a Four Rivers intern.

Last year, it was Caleb, a young man whose maturity, skills, and eagerness to participate in all aspects of the business impressed us mightily. When the official week was through, he arranged to continue with us on Friday afternoons. Then he stayed on clear through the summer. Come to think of it, he still comes by once a week! If you regularly stop by the shop, chances are he's pumped some oil for you, or chatted with you about your car.

When Caleb heads off to Michigan Tech next fall, it will be in his newly-painted diesel Mercedes, which he converted to run on grease just as senior year rolled around. We gotta say... this kid is no slacker. While managing a full load of high school classes, a social life, a job, sports, and his work with us, he also found time to take classes at Greenfield Community College on electricity, PV, sustainability, and technology. I don't care how many cynics declaim the era of green collar jobs and whine about the problems with a renewable energy future. All it takes is a couple of thoughtful, innovative young people like this one to restore our faith in positive change for the future.
Here's to you, Caleb!