Meet Our Interns!
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is honored to have a spectacular group of interns this season! Each intern we work with is has a passion for the environment that simply can’t be taught! They each work closely with a department of supervisors to train in a specific field at the Parks Conservancy that speaks to them the most. This month we’re excited to highlight each of our amazing interns and the work they have been doing while supporting Pittsburgh’s parks.
Debbie Scott (Community Engagement Intern) is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in Political Science and German Studies. She is particularly interested in environmental justice and sustainability. In her down time, Debbie can be found reading, biking, or exploring Pittsburgh with friends. After graduation, she plans to stay in Pittsburgh. This fall, you will see Debbie at community and volunteer events throughout the city, assisting with parks programming!
Michaela Caldwell (Restoration Intern) is a Master of Sustainability graduate student at Chatham University. She has an extensive background in ecology, and she plans on getting into the field of restoration ecology after she graduates this December. She figured that an internship at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was a perfect fit! She has previously volunteered at community gardens, and she loves connecting with people about nature. She gets especially excited about plants and birds, so don't be shy and feel free to ask her to identify anything with leaves or feathers. She also has a pet cat named Velvet and a pet leopard gecko named JP. Her life pretty much revolves around everything mentioned above, so that just about sums her up.
Katie Whitewood (Restoration Intern) is a graduate student at Slippery Rock University. She is currently studying Park and Resource Management and Environmental Education after finishing her bachelors in Environmental Science. She loves spending time outdoors and traveling. Last summer, she and her family traveled to a couple national parks out west and she and her mom hiked the Grand Canyon. Her favorite summer activity is kayaking, and, in the winter, she enjoys skiing. Her cat, Lilo, also enjoys lounging outside and going on walks in the park.
Jill Caswell (Community Engagement Intern) is a student at the University of Pittsburgh double majoring in Urban Planning and Communications with certificates in sustainability and nonprofit management. She hopes to work in the urban studies sector specializing in sustainability when she graduates in the spring.
Juliana Hunt (Community Engagement Intern) is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Urban & Environmental Studies as well as Spanish and Economics. She loves being outside and meeting new people, and she has had a great time doing both of those things so far since spring semester with the Conservancy!
Mackenzie Linderman (Community Engagement Intern) is from Pittsburgh and loves the city and all it has to offer! She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh, and someday she hopes to work in environmental conservation law. Her interests include hiking and reading. She is grateful for the opportunity the Conservancy has offered and loves learning more about the green spaces here in Pittsburgh.
Amanda Latowsky (Communications, Marketing, and Fundraising Intern) is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh double majoring in Environmental Studies and Anthropology with a certificate in Sustainability. She loves baking, dancing, and all things nature! She is originally from New Jersey and hopes to work in environmental education and communications in New York City when she graduates this spring.
Annie Ryan (Environmental Education Intern) is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in French, and will be an Environmental Education intern this fall for the Conservancy. She’s been working with kids since she was a kid, beginning with working at a girl scout camp when she was 13, continuing to teach swim lessons and tutor through high school and college, and have spent the last two summers in administrative positions at a sleepaway camp on the Chesapeake Bay. She's very excited to teach kids about the amazing nature surrounding us and collaborate with other passionate environmentalists!
Outside of school and work, she loves to sew, play guitar, and cook! She also has been involved in the Pittsburgh activism scene for about three years now. She loves discussing local environmental policy, and she loves learning and advocating for ways to create a more equitable, happy, and environmentally-just community!
Meghan Hammer (Environmental Education Intern) is a senior Environmental Studies major at the University of Pittsburgh, also pursuing a certificate in sustainability. Spending her childhood at the beach in her home state of New Jersey fostered her love and deep connection with nature, along with many hikes and adventures in NJ’s other beautiful and differing landscapes. Aslso an active member of Pitt’s environmental honors fraternity Epsilon Eta, Meghan loves participating in environmental service events around Pittsburgh with her other fellow stewards. In her free time, she loves to crochet, find new music, and hang out with friends. As an Environmental Education Intern for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Meghan hopes to learn more about the nature in Pittsburgh while gaining an environmental education background and meaningful relationships with the kids!
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy would like to take this moment to thank the interns for all the hard work they do! May their future endeavors be as meaningful and impactful as their internship with us so far!
