My way to take an active role in helping our environment

I have always loved animals and the outdoors, specifically turtles. Growing up in Washington, DC it was a little difficult to go out and explore nature. So, I paved my own path. Every weekend in the summer, I would bike 20 miles on a nearby trail to this small reservoir. There, I would sit and wait for a turtle to pop its head above a log before biking back home. Now I’m in college at Northwestern University and it has been harder to find time to go on adventures like this one. But after taking environmental classes, I decided to turn my passion for the outdoors into a career. While interning at Environment Illinois, I have an amazing opportunity to learn from experts and take action now to help protect our environment.

I am excited that through this internship I will get to learn more about local issues facing Illinois’ environment and take an active role in the fight against climate change. In countless classrooms, I have discussed the impending threats to our environment. Now, it is my turn to use what I have learned and translate it into making progress. I look forward to working with people with shared interests and understanding what we can do together, to help my new home in Illinois. My goal is to share my newly gained knowledge with peers and urge them to care about the environment as I do!

I am ready to listen and gain crucial experience in the field through this internship. Hearing about the challenges for our environment can be disheartening, but I am confident that throughout my time at Environment Illinois I can make a positive impact on both the world around me and the people within it! Whether it be through protecting our wetlands or reducing plastic pollution, I am ecstatic for this opportunity to explore the outdoors and aid nature in the process.