Alumni Spotlight: Oliver Usher (’21)

Oliver Usher (Class of 2021) joined ISZL in Grade 6 and has stayed closely connected to the community ever since. Now studying Energy and Environmental Systems Engineering at Hochschule Luzern (HSLU), Oliver is combining his studies with hands-on experience in the solar energy sector, while continuing to make time for the creativity, photography and love of the outdoors that first took shape during his years at ISZL.

Written by Oliver Usher

I joined ISZL in 6th grade and graduated in 2021 after completing the AP® Programme. Taking Advanced Placement® courses turned out to be excellent preparation for university: the workload, the independent study habits, and the academic level of subjects like maths and the sciences were the same as, if not very similar to, my first and second semester university courses, which made the transition into higher education remarkably smooth and reduced the initial stress of starting at university.

As a Swiss citizen, I knew military service was ahead of me after High School, and I decided to complete it all in one go, spending ten months as a rescue soldier specialised in urban search and rescue, industrial firefighting, and rendering first aid. The experience gave me friends for life, a new set of skills, and a level of discipline I still benefit from today. Beyond the experience itself, my service gave me the time and space to think carefully about what I wanted to study and where.

I chose HSLU (Hochschule Luzern), a university of applied sciences in Lucerne, to study Energy and Environmental Systems Engineering. The programme sits at the intersection of engineering and sustainability, covering renewable energy technologies, thermodynamics and thermal energy systems, process and environmental engineering, electrical power systems, and building technology, essential tools needed to design and operate the energy systems of a decarbonised future. My love for nature and the environment carries through from my studies into my free time, which was another factor in choosing to stay close to home in central Switzerland.

I enrolled in the part-time programme, earning work experience and university credits simultaneously. Alongside my studies, I worked as an engineer at a solar planning firm, supporting project leaders from the planning phase through to the execution of industrial solar farms in central Switzerland. Working part-time for over four years gave me deep insight into the professional world and what it actually takes to bring large projects to successful completion. It also taught me to manage myself and my time effectively, as I had the fortune of working independently.

Outside of work and university, you’ll find me in the mountains, skiing, climbing and camping, often with a camera in hand to capture it all. My passion for filming and photography traces back to my time at ISZL, where creativity wasn’t just tolerated alongside academics but actively encouraged. Whether through media projects in class or producing the senior video for my graduating year. That creative outlet has stayed with me ever since, and today it lives on in the videos and photos I create.

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