Who are you?
My name is Edwin de Leon. I'm from Panama. My background spans mechanical engineering as well as energy and environmental engineering.
Why Ecole Polytechnique and the Energy Environment: Science, Technology and Management (STEEM) specialization?
I was looking for a degree that blended technology and management, since I already had an engineering background. I started researching different programs and looking for top-tier engineering schools in Europe, coming here had always been a goal of mine. The name Ecole Polytechnique kept coming up, and as I explored the program, I thought: "This is quite interesting." That's what made the decision for me.
How would you describe the intensity of the program?
The first year of the MSc&T STEEM was quite challenging, at least for me. Several subjects were new territory, so the learning curve was steep. The second year feels more manageable in comparison.
How did you adapt to the courses at Ecole Polytechnique?
Some courses are heavily mathematical, which I was familiar with from my bachelor's, but I hadn't worked with those concepts in five or six years. When I arrived, I had to refresh all of that and keep up with the pace. It was challenging, but doable.
What do you think about having industry professionals come and teach you?
It's a great opportunity. They show us what the sector looks like in practice, not just in theory. Lecturers coming from different companies bring real-world applications into the classroom, which makes the content much more concrete and relevant.
What are the most valuable technical or soft skills you've gained from the program so far?
One of the standout skills from our coursework is data interpretation and analysis. We work with large datasets and have to extract meaningful insights from them and combining that with Python makes it very powerful. Analyzing and interpreting data has become part of my daily routine. I think it's one of the genuine strengths of the MSc&T STEEM program.
Were you already familiar with Python before joining?
I had some basics before arriving at Ecole Polytechnique, but here I was able to put it into real practice and understand its actual value. For example, in our solar and wind projects, we analyzed a real solar power plant and identified why one of the panels was malfunctioning. With the tools we had, we could also determine which panels were performing best. That kind of applied, hands-on work is directly aligned with what I see in internship offers online: data interpretation, forecasting, energy modeling. It's a skill I genuinely value having developed here.
Does Ecole Polytechnique help you find internships?
I didn't land an internship directly through the industry workshop, but I did get interviews from it — which I think is already quite valuable. What makes it unique is that it's exclusively focused on the STEEM specialization, bringing together first year and second year students with industry contacts. It's something I really appreciate about how the program administration supports us.
What about field trips?
Field trips are another highlight. In the first year, we visited a hydropower plant and a Schneider Electric site. In second year, we're heading to a geothermal plant. It matters because it moves you beyond the conceptual: you see how everything actually works, you talk to the engineers on-site, and suddenly the theory has a physical reality behind it.