Lake Forest College senior Nipun Chauhan ’18 is setting up for a successful career post-graduation after gaining invaluable working experience at Satori Energy.
Chauhan, a member of the men’s soccer team, was offered a position at Satori Energy after hearing about the opportunity from one of his professors. Chauhan began working at the company in January as a Financial Analyst Intern. In this role, he developed proposals for clients, compiled several reports that compared the electrical usage among different suppliers, and redesigned templates for monitoring the company’s finances.
After what was originally supposed to be a 3-month internship, Chauhan’s stay with the company was extended to continue throughout the summer. During his time with Satori Energy, Chauhan developed close relationships with his colleagues and was able to receive important guidance and mentorship from the company’s president, David Wiers.
Chauhan noted that, “Dave and I would go out for lunch to talk about my long-term goals and we were often joined by another member who worked in the industry. Dave expanded my network and responsibilities, which is exposure I would not have received had I worked anywhere else. He created an environment at the office that felt like a family, which made it so hard to leave.”
Wiers has hired several Lake Forest College alumni, with the most recent being Jenny McTague ’17, a softball player and the 2017 Midwest Conference Woman of the Year. Wiers has been a consistent supporter of Forester Athletics, which is displayed by his involvement with Forester Game Plan programming, support at athletic competitions, and active hiring of the College’s students. He truly demonstrates many of the great connections that exist within the Forester Family.
Chauhan expressed that both the Forester Game Plan and the Career Advancement Center played a role in his hiring at Satori Energy. The Forester Game plan is a unique four-year program that prepares student-athletes for life after Lake Forest College. It is a collaborative effort between the Athletic Department and the Career Advancement Center and the benefits of the program are noticeable on many levels.
“Through the Career Advancement Center (CAC) I set up a couple mock up interviews with alumni, which was helpful in refining a few areas that I was weak in. I never had a professional interview per se before that so having that experience was helpful in improving my communication skills. Additionally, the CAC also helped me fine tune my resume.”
Chauhan was reminded of the family-like environment at Sartori Enegry when the entire office surprised him at his game against Carthage College, the 18th-ranked team in the nation, on Wednesday, September 13. Wiers, a graduate of Carthage, was there to support not only his alma mater, but also Chauhan and the Foresters.
In fact, in an effort to show their support, members from the office designed a giant head cut out of Chauhan (see headline picture). “I was just so surprised to see them!” commented Chauhan. “I was not expecting them to bring a big head. We still have that big head in my house!” (laughs)
The game against Carthage went into double overtime, ultimately finishing in a 1-1 tie. After the game Chauhan and his former co-workers had dinner back in his apartment, further emphasizing just how special the Lake Forest College Family is!