Laurie-Mai DENOUX Class of STU 2010

At the end of her first year in the Master's programme, Laurie-Mai begins searching for a summer internship. Naturally, she looks towards Nantes, her hometown, and establishes contact with the Nantes Saint-Nazaire metropolitan structure[1]. The advice of a Master's professor, Gilles Pinson, helped her identify this entity as one of the most promising organisations in the Nantes metropolis. This initial approach is not immediately successful: the metropolitan structure does not need an intern during this period, and Laurie-Mai ultimately decides to undertake her internship at the Gigaro think tank, focusing on sustainable city issues. However, this experience will prove crucial a few months later when it comes time to secure a final internship.

In the autumn, Laurie-Mai follows up with the metropolitan structure for her M2 internship. Several factors work in her favour, starting with a good rapport with her contact at the organisation. Laurie-Mai's profile meets the expectations of the structure, and her group project on the maritime and river sector in the Paris basin adds a notable "flair" to her CV that resonates well with her interlocutors: in 2010, Laurie-Mai is accepted for a 6-month internship within the SAMOA (Société d’Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique) team made available to the Nantes Saint-Nazaire metropolitan structure.

The SAMOA is tasked with assisting the metropolitan structure in implementing the Ecocité initiative, a national label that rewards local authorities committed to sustainable urban development policies. Laurie-Mai's internship focuses on facilitating a range of innovative projects around the theme of “cities returning to the water.” To achieve this, she compiles and meets with several dozen project leaders, thereby acquiring a solid understanding of the metropolitan territory.

Upon finishing her internship, Laurie-Mai is hired to continue supporting projects: preparing an application to secure funding for innovative projects such as the implementation of an experimental ticketing system for public transport in the Nantes metropolis, a water treatment initiative, and the design of a positive energy island in the eco-district Prairie-au-Duc on the Île de Nantes. Her position allows her to alternate between strategic topics (defining a metropolitan sustainable development strategy) and operational ones (drafting specifications, analysing files, including their technical aspects). Another advantage is the small size of the structure, which ensures a wide variety of tasks and allows her to take responsibility for each project.

The year 2012 sees the creation of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Metropolitan Pole. This incorporates the dedicated SAMOA team of which Laurie-Mai is a part. She then becomes a public service contractor[2]. Her missions remain unchanged. Laurie-Mai is currently working on a project management consultation for the development of six landscaped sites within the Metropolitan Pole, called “Water and Landscapes.” This is a significant undertaking, as it represents the first action of metropolitan interest carried out by the Pole since its inception.

In conclusion, some recommendations for students: begin searching for internships and making contacts early, activate resources such as professors from the Master's programme, aim initially for fairly generalist structures with varying levels of operationality to diversify your experiences. Lastly, do not hesitate to look towards provincial opportunities where it is sometimes easier to take on responsibilities: on my part, Laurie-Mai asserts, “no regrets, successful gamble.”

[1] The establishment of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire metropolitan structure follows the adoption of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Scot in 2007. In July 2012, it transformed and became the Nantes-Saint Nazaire Metropolitan Pole, a new form of mixed union for inter-municipal cooperation.

[2] For political and legal reasons, it is the Community of Agglomeration of the Nazaire region and estuary (CARENE) that provides the personnel for the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Metropolitan Pole.