Meet our 2011 Summer Interns!
This summer I have had the pleasure of being able to work with four amazing interns in all areas of the Greenway. Whether they are out helping us on volunteer events, providing all the first aid needed on our 20th Anniversary Trek, coordinating Greenway Summer events or helping us keep our heads on straight in the office, they have all been an amazing help this summer and I know we wouldn’t have been quite as organized, efficient, and sane without them.
Meet our fabulous interns:
Hilde Tzemos (Greenway Summer Events Intern Extraordinaire):
Hilde recently graduated from the UW and hopefully will go back to her beloved school for a masters some time in the not-so-distant future. She started interning at the Mountains to Sound Greenway because it was “the coolest internship” she could find and it would be a mutually beneficial relationship – which is what Hilde is all about. What she didn’t know was that this beach loving girl would soon fall in love with both the Greenway landscape and the Greenway Trust staff that keeps the Greenway going. Now she interns for the Greenway because working here is her passion. A little extreme she realizes, but she came here as a shy girl and when her internship is over she’ll leave a completely changed woman (with a booming voice!). Hilde fun fact: Hilde is an incredible chef/baker, often bringing in delicious Greek-style treats for the staff!
David Dunphy (Trek Medic Extraordinaire):
This summer David helped manage “all things medical” during the 20th Anniversary trek along with learning and assisting with other Greenway initiatives. He just completed his junior year at Gonzaga University in Spokane where he is pursuing two degrees- one in Environmental Studies and the other in Business Administration. David is also very active in the Gonzaga Outdoor Program. David decided to intern with the Greenway this summer because he wanted to be a part of the collaborative philosophy of the Greenway that protects lands where he grew up hiking, backpacking and climbing on. David Dunphy fun fact: He has climbed and conquered Mount Rainier twice.
Katherine Serrano (Kat! Intern Fabuloso):
Kat is a senior in high school this fall. She has been at The Bush School since 7th grade. Her future plans are finishing up senior year and getting ready to apply to college in the fall and hopefully celebrating acceptance to one in the spring. She decided to intern at the Greenway because she’s always wanted to get administrative experience in an office setting and is really interested in environmental issues. This organization was ultimately perfect for her in both of those respects. Her favorite part about the Greenway is the plant nursery. Its really breathtaking to see all the little trees all in one place and imagining how much bigger they will get in the future! The nursery was also Kat’s first interaction with Greenway. Kat’s fun fact: She slept on the ground in a sleeping bag for three months while visiting the Navajo and Hopi reservation for a school trip.
Evan Kamber (Totally Awesome TIPS Intern):
A recent graduate from Skyline High School, Evan will be a freshman next year at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was recruited to play soccer at Vassar and plans on majoring in Environmental Studies. He received this internship through the Teens In Public Service (TIPS) program, which is a nonprofit organization that places teens with non-profits around the greater Seattle area and compensates them for their work. TIPS placed Evan at the Greenway because of his interest in the environment and desire to pursue a job in a similar field. His favorite part about working with the Greenway has been the opportunity to reach out and affect the local community. He is looking forward to being involved in running trail restoration, habitat conservation, summer camps, and Ryther events this summer! Evan’s fun fact: For the past two years, he and his family have raised Guide Dogs for the Blind. They are currently raising a yellow (more orange-colored) lab named Jello!
I want to say a big thank you to our interns for being absolutely amazing! Make sure to tell them hello and how awesome they if you see them out and about in the Greenway!
