Bram Kools

At my time at Merrimack College I learned a variety of skills like professional written communication,advocacy,project coordination and outreach skills. At my time at Merrimack College I also learned about environmental issues including Renewable energy,Alternative forms of businesses,ways of Divesting from fossil fuels,over-consumption and the institutional and structural fixes that can start to solve these environmental issues. I earned a variety of academic awards including the President List in the Fall 2018 and then the Dean’s List in the following semesters Fall 2017, Spring 2018 and the Spring 2019.

I did my internship with BostonGreenfest which is a multicultural environmental music festival. One of the most memorable experiences for me was facilitating and coordinating the festival in a variety of roles. I was communicating with stakeholders including vendors and exhibitors over the phone and through email. During this internship I had to organize and facilitate a filmfest which makes me prepared to assist and work on different multi-step projects.

I had the opportunity to work as a retail sales specialist at REI. REI’s business model is based on the idea that a business can be community-oriented and primarily value the environment and stewardship. It's a members-owned co-op which allowed me to explore the ways a business can be democratic. I built my marketing and sales skills in this position because I was interacting with each individual customer on satisfying their needs for a particular product but also communicating the benefits of bellowing to a Co-op.