Maris Karner

Highly motivated and dedicated individual with cross-cultural experience. Team player with proven track record in customer satisfaction and driving success. High achiever who thrives on challenges. Takes pride in attention to detail, never says never and is always on time.

Upon graduating from college, I was actively looking for ways to work in the environmental field. I started out as a summer intern at a bluetech innovation hub where I was tasked and mentored to research and develop an offshore wind vertical for the company. I got my current job in a plastics recycling company through networking. In college, there was a guest lecturer whose personal story and a passion for the environment had left a deep impression on me. So when my summer internship came to an end, I decided to reach out to her and inquire about any vacant entry level positions in her world. Working as a sustainability associate has been a valuable experience as I have learned a lot about waste management and the intricacies of circular economy in the sphere of plastics recycling in particular.

My academic background includes a high school diploma from an Old Town Educational College in Tallinn, Estonia with a focus in humanities. After immigrating to the United States at the age of twenty and later becoming a mother, I decided to enroll in the City Colleges of Chicago where my passion for learning was re-ignited. Upon being accepted into an international college honor society, I was encouraged by the faculty to further my education and apply to four-year colleges. At the time, the idea of ​​me chasing after a Bachelor's degree with a toddler by my side just didn't seem realistic. Regardless of my hesitation, I decided to succumb to the temptation to push my limits and signed up for what was affectionately known as the TLC (Transfer Leadership Course). Much to my surprise, the more I learned about the Davis Scholar program at Wellesley College, the more I realized that despite my non-traditional circumstances, a Bachelor's degree could be in the cards for me after all. Before graduating from the college with a major in philosophy and a minor in environmental studies, I worked as a research assistant on a maritime sustainability project at the college. To deepen my understanding of the complexities of environmental issues even further, I completed the interdisciplinary sustainability certificate program offered by the collaboration of the Babson, Olin and Wellesley Colleges. I worked as a research assistant on a maritime sustainability project at the college. To deepen my understanding of the complexities of environmental issues even further, I completed the interdisciplinary sustainability certificate program offered by the collaboration of the Babson, Olin and Wellesley Colleges. I worked as a research assistant on a maritime sustainability project at the college. To deepen my understanding of the complexities of environmental issues even further, I completed the interdisciplinary sustainability certificate program offered by the collaboration of the Babson, Olin and Wellesley Colleges.