
SmartPower selected the top five nominees who are now awaiting the final results from the judging panel of energy experts, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 16.
The remaining five competing for the title include (clockwise from the top left) Katie Romanov of Middlebury College, Chris Castro of the University of Central Florida, Brett Edwards, a student at the California Polytechnic State University known as the eco-conscious rapper “Mr. Eco,” Casey Fangmann of Iowa State University, and Elliott Beenk of the University of Iowa.
SmartPower would be proud to have any one of the five young energy leaders come to Washington, D.C., for a summer fellowship — just one of many awards America’s Next Eco-Star will receive. As a summer fellow at SmartPower, America’s Next Eco-Star will gain first-hand marketing experience and help SmartPower design and implement future youth energy efficiency campaigns.
Each of the five has shown an extraordinary commitment to sustainability, exemplary in their campaigning efforts for America’s Next Eco-Star. Elliot Beenk and Casey Fangmann, both from Iowa, led an aggressive media approach, resulting in their featured article in The Gazette. Eco-rapper Brett Edwards was featured on a local TV news station for his environmental music videos that parody popular rap songs.
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