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    • Nat Paynter

    Nat Paynter

    Director of Water Programs

    charity:water

    New York, NY USA

    “From an early age, we're told 'You're either humanities or you're hard sciences.' And that's not true. You can do both.”

    Videos

    Videos

    By Roadtrip Nation

    Nat Paynter

    Highlight
    Themes: Transitions
    Now Playing
    00:36
    Nat Paynter HighlightInterview Highlight
    Now Playing
    05:03
    InterviewThe Interview
    Now Playing
    00:50
    Don't Limit Yourself to the Options of TodayWeb Exclusive
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    01:03
    Not Wanting Anyone Else's LifeWeb Exclusive
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    00:48
    Admitting Ignorance with ConfidenceWeb Exclusive
    Now Playing
    01:01
    Moving in a Great DirectionWeb Exclusive
    Now Playing
    00:41
    A Brave Thing To Chase What You LoveWeb Exclusive
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    00:39
    Engineering Offers the AnswersWeb Exclusive
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    01:01
    Changing Cultural StandardsWeb Exclusive
    Now Playing
    00:42
    Shaking Up My PerspectiveWeb Exclusive
    Now Playing
    01:36
    Changing PathsWeb Exclusive
    Now Playing
    01:26
    Hard Science & Math Are Just LanguagesInterview Excerpt
    Now Playing
    01:38
    I Gotta Be HappierInterview Excerpt
    Now Playing
    00:53
    180 Degree Turn to Hard ScienceInterview Excerpt
    Now Playing
    01:07
    Five Career OptionsInterview Excerpt
    See More
    Milestones

    Milestones

    My road in life has been direct.
    Spent his life pursuing a career in literature; once he finally found a job in publishing, he realized he no longer enjoyed reading.
    When he was 25, his father died suddenly; Nat realized how little control he had over his life.
    Realizing that he, too, could die at any time was the final impetus he'd needed to quit his job.
    Went back to school to get another undergraduate degree in engineering; had to start all the way at the bottom, in pre-algebra.
    Realized that hard science and math were also just languages, and he just had to figure out what each sentence was trying to tell him.
    Finished his master's degree in engineering at MIT then went to work for the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program.
    His work took him to Tanzania, where he was exposed to a lack of clean water first-hand.
    He's made access to clean water his life's work because he sees it as the world's biggest, yet most solvable, problem.
    Keep following my journey
    Education

    Education

    highschool
    High School
    undergrad
    Bachelor
    English Language and Literature, General
    Brown University
    graduate
    Graduate
    Engineering, General
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Career

    Career

    Director of Water Programs

    I develop programs to help people around the world gain access to clean water.

    Career Roadmap

    Roadmap
    My work combines:
    My work combines:
    Non-Profit Organizations
    Non-Profit Organizations
    Science
    Science
    Upholding a Cause and Belief
    Upholding a Cause and Belief

    Hurdles

    Hurdles

    Challenges I Overcame

    Other
    Other

    My father died suddenly when I was about 25 while I was going through this questioning of my career.