Who are you?
My name is Stefanie Acosta. I'm originally from Mexico, and I graduated from the MSc&T in Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Management (EESM) at Ecole Polytechnique in 2019. Today I work as a Research Engineer at OTV Veolia in France, where I apply the technical and scientific knowledge I built during my studies to real water treatment challenges every day.
Why did you choose the EESM specialization?
I can summarize my choice in three points:
- The first is the multidisciplinary curriculum — the fact that you can have both rigorous scientific courses and humanities in the same program.
- The second is the teaching staff, because my professors were already active professionals in the fields I cared about. The experience they bring into the classroom is worth more than any textbook.
- And the third, of course, is everything around the academics — the sports, the student clubs, the full campus life that Ecole Polytechnique offers. It makes the experience genuinely enjoyable, not just intellectually stimulating.
Did you get help financing your studies?
When I applied to the MSc&T in EESM, I was fortunate enough to receive support from the Foundation of Ecole Polytechnique. I applied, and thanks to my academic background I was accepted. I'm truly grateful for that, because it's what allowed me to pursue this education. I understand there are now more scholarships available through partnerships with other institutions, which is wonderful — financial support can make all the difference for students who need it. Learn more about the scholarships.
Did the MSc&T prepare you well for the industry?
It did, very concretely. I apply knowledge from courses like wastewater treatment and drinking water production in my day-to-day work. But beyond the technical content, I also gained a lot of soft skills: project management, working with people from very different cultural backgrounds, communicating across languages. It helped me a lot.
One thing I want to highlight is how accessible the professors were. In my case, some of them already worked in the industry I was aiming for, so I could go to them with questions and get their real feedback. I think that helped me keep well-informed and well-prepared.
How helpful is the Polytechnique network?
When I was searching for my first internship, and then my second, I had a lot of questions. Graduate students and alumni were open to talking and sharing their experiences. That accessibility is something I greatly appreciated.
How did you land your job at Veolia?
It was through the X-Forum, the careers fair at Ecole Polytechnique where you can meet and interview directly with companies you're interested in. That's how I got my first internship at Veolia. I also spoke with my professors about what the environment was like there and what to expect.
From there, I proved myself during the internship, brought in the skills I had developed during the program, and they offered me a full-time position. Actually, they created the position for me, it didn’t exist before I came in.
What advice would you give future students?
I want to point out is follow your French lessons and take full advantage of it especially if you want to stay in France to pursue pursuing your career. I had an extra-curricular that where I just had to speak French, and that's what helped me the most.
Beyond the language: you will meet amazing people here. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Adapt to the culture, lean into it, don't be afraid of it. The French experience, really living it, not just observing it from a distance, is a big part of what this program gives you. Embrace it fully.