My name is Nora Jennings, and I am the Outdoor Youth Corps intern. I have been a participant in Outdoor Youth Corps myself, as I have taken the opportunity to be a part of the team for the last two summer crews as well as a few of the other work series that they offer. Being a part of this program has helped to inspire me to pursue a career related to sustainability. This is part of why I chose to go into chemical engineering at the University of Kansas. As I am about to go into my sophomore year, I will begin more coursework related to my concentration in material science. I hope to use this concentration to learn more about how to create renewable energy, specifically solar technologies. This way, I can use my engineering skills to help solve real world problems and be a part of creating the solutions to improve our future. This ties in very well to the mission of the garden, as one of its focuses is on preserving the natural world for everyone to enjoy.
I have always enjoyed being a part of something greater than myself, which is also why I’m glad that I get to be an intern with the Missouri Botanical Garden. This program has truly shown me what it means to do work for the greater good, and I am excited to continue to make an impact on the world around me.
Hello! My name is Joseph Caya and I’m the Sustainability Education Intern at the Earthways Center this summer. I’ll be entering my sophomore year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study Environmental Sustainability and Geographic Information Systems. I’m a big fan of roller skating outside, thrifting or upcycling clothes with my friends, and playing drums.
I’d say teaching and sharing about topics I’m passionate about is one of my best skills, especially when I feel it’s something people should know about – like sustainability! Although I only transferred into my current declared major as of this Spring, I feel that I’ve quickly been able to tap into a fascination for natural and built landscapes, which the Garden has also done so much to enable. So far, it’s been a pleasure to engage with the STL sustainability scene and absorb all the experience it has to offer, so I’m looking forward to continuing with this opportunity!
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