Congratulations, Class of 2021 Interns and Assistants!
The Office of Sustainability could not do what it does without our student interns and assistants. We’d like to extend a special thank you–and a formal congratulations–to all of our interns and assistants, past and present, who graduated with the Class of 2021. These students have truly become part of our family and while we will certainly miss having them on campus, we can’t wait to see them spread their wings and do great work in the world.
Max Album graduated with a BS in engineering. He served as the Quantitative Analysis Intern during the 2019-2020 academic year, focusing on addressing barriers to allowing reusable water bottles to be brought into Wake Forest football games. He provided the vision and the engineering know-how for modeling the impact that hard plastic containers could have in a stadium environment.
“I can’t think of Max without thinking of his positivity and enthusiasm. Max was always a joy to be around and I’m jealous of anyone who gets to work with him in the future. Along with his personality, he brought an engineering-minded, solution-focused ideology to the Office that helped us look at campus problems in new ways and reach new audiences. He truly is the perfect ambassador for sustainability–fun, creative, curious, and welcoming.” – Brian Cohen
Lauren Berryman graduated magna cum laude with a BS in health and exercise science and minors in journalism and bioethics, humanities, and medicine. She served as a Communications and Content Development assistant during the Spring 2019, Spring 2020, and Fall 2020 semesters before becoming the Communications Team Lead this past spring. Lauren will be moving to Washington, DC, this summer to pursue a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs at American University.
“Lauren embodies qualities that are going to take her far in her post collegiate career – knowledge, confidence, leadership, collaboration and personality. In an extremely challenging year due to both pandemic and transition within the Office of Sustainability, Lauren stepped up to lead her peers with great success. Her enthusiasm for the topic of sustainability along with her communications expertise allowed her to thrive as a team lead. Lauren’s future is bright and I look forward to the positive impact she will create.” – Lindsay Batchelor
Carolina Conway graduated summa cum laude with a BA in anthropology and minors in environmental studies and writing. She served as an Environmental Education Intern during the 2020-2021 academic year, planning lessons, training Wake Forest student volunteers, and delivering content to local middle schoolers. In the spring semester alone, her efforts led to roughly 1,500 students receiving engaging education on sustainability topics and helped earn her a Champions of Change award. An avid outdoorswoman, Carolina will be moving to Taos, New Mexico, to work in environmental education and land conservation as a park ranger for the Bureau of Land Management.
“Carolina didn’t join our team until her senior year, but it was definitely worth the wait. What she was able to accomplish in just two pandemic-laden semesters was remarkable, and she has truly left a lasting impact on environmental education in Winston-Salem. A soft-spoken, kind-hearted, nature-loving leader who is impossible not to get along with, Carolina’s future is bright. I’m excited to see where her skills and talents take her.” – Brian Cohen
Olivia Etherton graduated magna cum laude with an interdisciplinary BS in environmental science and a minor in dance. She served as a Campus Garden Intern during the Spring 2021 semester and was previously one of the stars of the Campus Garden’s Cultivation Leadership Team. Olivia will be traveling the American West and working in regenerative farming before pursuing a graduate degree in conservation biology.
“Olivia found the Campus Garden as soon as she arrived on campus. Over the years, she became a CLT leader I could trust to arrive early, engage volunteers and tidy up at the end of a shift. Her time as an intern was perhaps the most productive on record! In one semester, she took a deep dive into vermicomposting and caring for native bees, ultimately constructing beautiful Bee Condos for the garden. My favorite memory is working a Compost Crew shift with Olivia and hauling dozens of bags of compostables across Manchester Plaza. Oliva leads by example and my only regret is that I couldn’t convince her to stay for a 5th year.” – Nathan Peifer
Rachel Faulkenberry graduated summa cum laude with dual majors in environmental and sustainability studies and business and enterprise management, for which she was honored with the Lura Baker Paden Award for outstanding academic achievement. In her four semesters working with the Office of Sustainability, Rachel served in three different roles: Waste Reduction Intern during the Spring 2019 semester, Athletics Fan Engagement Intern in Spring 2020, and Green Labs Intern throughout the most recent academic year. Her accomplishments with the office include reducing food waste at North Dining Hall through a study on plate size, developing a variety of outreach activities, and implementing a “shut the sash” initiative in Salem Hall that saved roughly $15,000 in energy costs.
“Rachel definitely earns the ‘wildcard’ award. In three positions over four semesters, she proved that she is the perfect match for, well, anything. While she is way too humble to ever say so herself, the impacts she was able to make in so many areas of campus in such a short period of time were unprecedented. While I wish I could’ve spent more time with Rachel over the years, she simply didn’t need it. I’m so thankful to her for her independence, proactivity, and dedication.” – Brian Cohen
Ceci Kammire graduated summa cum laude with a BA in studio art and a minor in environmental studies. She served as the Graphic Design Assistant during the 2020-2021 academic year, creating eye-catching and informative material for events, social media, and educational purposes. Ceci will be moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, this summer to begin her post-Wake life.
“Ceci was such a joy to work with this past year. No matter the subject, nor the timeline, she was able to deliver high quality, engaging graphics content that supported the sustainability programming of not only the office but also our intern team and campus partners. Ceci’s determination and talent are going to take her far in her career and I look forward to all she will accomplish.” – Lindsay Batchelor
Jack Lloyd graduated summa cum laude with majors in biology and French studies and a minor in environmental science. He earned the Harold Dawes Parcell Award for Excellence in French due to his exceptional scholarship and grade point average, and was also a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society. Jack served as a Campus Garden Intern during the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters. He will soon be moving across the pond to teach English in Marseilles, France.
“Jack Lloyd is brilliance and style. His shining moment in the Campus Garden was the Fall 2018 Pumpkin Painting event. His fellow intern (who shall remain nameless) got stranded in Virginia. Jack flew solo and the event was a soaring success. If I’m being honest my respect for Jack flirts with envy. Here’s a young man who can grow a salad, stitch his own clothing, play an impromptu piano recital in Benson and speak beautiful French. He is a renaissance man who will find success wherever he travels.” – Nathan Peifer
Kelsey Murlless graduated magna cum laude with a BA in environmental and sustainability studies and a minor in politics and international affairs. She served as the Athletics Waste Reduction & Diversion Assistant during the Spring 2019 semester. This summer, Kelsey will begin work as a sustainability curriculum development intern with Fulphil, a social entrepreneurship nonprofit.
“While Kelsey was only part of our official team for one semester, she was involved in pretty much everything sustainability. In addition to helping advance our waste diversion efforts with Athletics, she was an unsung hero in so many ways, from mentoring students interested in the ENV program to serving on the Compost Crew to doing all sorts of outreach around campus. Kelsey is an all-around great person and I’ll miss having her serve as a representative for sustainability at Wake.” – Brian Cohen
Kat Pitchford graduated with dual majors in anthropology and psychology. They served as a Zero-Landfill Assistant during the 2019-2020 academic year and as the Residence Life Assistant in 2020-2021. Prior to joining the Office of Sustainability in an official capacity, Kat’s selfless volunteering to support sustainability on campus earned them a Champions of Change Award in 2019. Kat will soon be moving to Kansas City, Missouri as an educator with Teach for America.
“Kat’s contributions to sustainability at Wake are simply too numerous to count. Compost Crew volunteer and shift leader, Plant-Forward Dining Committee member, Fashion and Sustainability Steering Committee member, Susty Groups representative, Zero-Landfill Assistant, Res Life Assistant… the list goes on. Over the past four years, Kat was always the first person to step forward and help, with 44 hours of Office of Sustainability volunteer work in their sophomore year alone! All of this despite a schedule that included three campus jobs and the pursuit of a double major. I am so proud–and truly in awe–of what Kat has been able to accomplish. Their dedication and work ethic is only eclipsed by who they are as a person: one of the most genuinely good human beings you will ever meet.” – Brian Cohen
Sarah Templeton graduated summa cum laude with an interdisciplinary studies BA in environmental science and a minor in Latin American and Latino studies. She graduated as a member of Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies and received the Award for Outstanding Minor in Latin American and Latino Studies for her work both in and outside the classroom. Sarah served as the Greeks Go Green Intern during the Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters, and also as the Events Assistant in Spring 2020. She will be moving to Washington, DC, this summer to gain environmental policy experience before pursuing law school.
“It was so clear that Sarah was the perfect person to lead Greeks Go Green that, despite her not actually applying for the position, I offered it to her anyway. And I couldn’t be happier that she accepted. Her visionary thinking, dedication, and leadership helped energize the program and bring it to new heights. I’ve seen Sarah grow so much in her time at Wake and the combination of her professional skills and warm personality make her the total package. There’s no doubt in my mind that she is destined for great things.” – Brian Cohen