University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP) student Vi Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon is spending her summer as a program intern at the Community Weatherization Coalition (CWC) in Gainesville, Florida.
Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon’s responsibilities include restocking kits used to help the local community lower utility bills, completing follow-up reports for clients and creating content for the CWC’s social media.
Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon found out about the internship through her DCP advisors and credits her coursework for helping her prepare for this role.
“I’m so grateful to be more integrated within the Gainesville community through my college’s opportunities and the wonderful work done with the CWC.”
Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Sustainability and the Built Environment with a focus on urban and regional planning and green infrastructure in Spring 2028. Afterward, she plans on attending graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. Her internship at the CWC has given her a taste of her future career goals.
“When I become an urban planner, I hope to uplift everyone and focus on green, sustainable practices that will leave our communities with the necessary resources to live a happy and hopeful life for themselves and future generations.”
Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon started at the University of Florida in a different major, but she found her passion when she took her first DCP class and switched into the college. Her favorite DCP course so far was Global Sustainable Energy. This course prepared her for her time at the CWC as she learned about the field of renewable energy.
One of her best memories at the college was seeing DCP staff alongside her at the CWC’s spring energy coach training.
“It was awesome to see professors, advisors and faculty continuing to fight for our community in their free time.”
Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon enjoys being part of an organization that makes a difference in the local community.
“The most rewarding part of my internship is seeing how local organizations can create positive change in their communities. Even if I’m assigned tasks that most people would find dull or unimportant, I’m always happy to do it because I know the CWC’s work makes a real difference, and it takes all of our individual efforts to make that happen.”
“Vi has been instrumental in supporting operations this summer at the Community Weatherization Coalition. She has been a joy to work with and enthusiastically tackles a variety of tasks, from performing tune-ups to help our community live more sustainably to promoting our mission with a smile at outreach events,” said Cutler.
During her time at UF, Prawiradilaga-Mendelzon has learned many things that she will take with her throughout her future. But one of the most important things she carries with her is not being afraid to speak up.
“I’ve realized that most people have great ideas but are too afraid to share them. Every day I make sure that my voice is heard, and I try to help others with their voice if they haven’t been able to find it yet.”
