Dhareni Melanie Kistnasamy

During my first year of high school, my friend would always throw her garbage out the window of the public bus. This action would frustrate me. Thus, every time it happened, I routinely tried to convince her to hold onto her garbage until she could put it in a trash bin. Upon reflecting on why I reacted this way, I became aware of my calling to protect my environment. Since then, my interest and passion for the environment rose and has kept growing ever since.

My name is Dhareni Melanie Kistnasamy and my preferred name is Melanie. I am from Mauritius, which is a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. I earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in GIS (Geographical Information System) from Gustavus Adolphus College, a small liberal arts college in St Peter, Minnesota.

Before college, I volunteered with Eli Africa on mangroves and endemic plant projects. During my college years, I conducted research on water quality monitoring with MPCA and on improving oil spill response with CRRC (Coastal Response Research Center) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). I interned as a social impact strategist at Ecosis Ltd as well as a sustainability liaison between students and administration at Gustavus Adolphus College. I graduated in December 2021 and have been volunteering with the Rotaract eClub for the Environment since then. In February 2022, I received the opportunity to be a Sustainability Waste Advisor at Engie Impact and I am so happy to join the team and contribute to the significant impact that is being made.

In my free time, I like to go on daily walks, do yoga, color, and catch up with friends. Other than English, I speak French, and Mauritian Creole. Please reach out to learn more!