Meet Max! Max is the Special Assistant to the Principals at EFI. A prolific dabbler, he loves bike repair, fountain pens, and adding to his pile of unread books. Taking a page from his colleagues, he’s returning to school to study policy analysis in the Fall.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to do service oriented work. In high school, that meant I wanted to be a doctor, but I don’t at all have the head for biology or chemistry. In college, I decided it would be easier to find a doctor and propose to them — and that’s actually what I did!
What was your most rewarding experience prior to working at EFI?
In 2016, there was a budget crisis in Utah and I was working in a really rural part of the state. I learned that residents of the Navajo nation weren’t going to have access to a polling location for the presidential primary election. The party decided that there weren’t the resources to set up an accessible polling site. I found some volunteers and without any resources or support from outside, we were able to set up a new voting location that gave hundreds of people access to participate in that election.
What is the best thing about working at EFI?
The best thing is that there’s always something new to learn, especially for me as someone without a background in energy. The people here are so infectiously curious that it’s impossible not to start reading and asking questions. I love how encouraging everyone is of that intellectual curiosity.
What are you the proudest of since working at EFI?
I offered to help draft some congressional testimonies for one of the principals on advanced nuclear technologies, which is a topic that I find so endlessly fascinating. I fully expected him to say no, but he let me do it. It was one of those moments where I couldn’t wait to go home and say ‘You won’t believe what happened to me today.”
What gives you hope for the future?
Back in 2018, a family member experienced an incredibly traumatic personal tragedy. It was the kind of thing that completely reoriented your life. Since then, in spite of everything we’ve had to go through, from the pandemic to day-to-day life, he’s bounced back in such an amazing way. I’m just really proud of him and that is what fills me home.
What’s your favorite song at the moment?
My fiancée gave me two CDs for Christmas this year and I like them both very much so I’ll say my favorite tracks.
Chinese Satellite by Phoebe Bridgers
Eso Que Tu Haces by Lido Pimienta
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