Farewell Interns

The changing of seasons can symbolize new beginnings. That is certainly the case for our latest Conservation Internship cohort, for whom the start of summer brings a close to their nine-month residency. Learn more about their next steps below:

• Michaela Stenerson served as the Intern Lead for the 2023-2024 cohort. She has moved to Florida to begin a full-time position as an Environmental Educator at the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach.

Michaela says, “The experience I gained in the A Rocha USA internship program provided me with skills that qualified me for this position. I’m super excited to start this new chapter and hope to continue to stay connected with A Rocha as its presence grows in Florida.”

• Madeline Padgett also moved to Florida and plans to pursue a master’s degree in Marine Biology.

• Noah Guthrie returned to Nashville, Tennessee to continue creation care and his relationship with A Rocha USA. Stay tuned for more blog posts from Noah!

Noah reflects, “As someone with a creative writing background, I was grateful that my internship with A Rocha USA provided opportunities to apply my writing to creation care, while also deepening my experience in scientific research and environmental restoration. This has honed my old skills, developed new ones, and offered a unique chance to learn what it’s like to represent Christlike values among conservation scientists.” 

As a reflection of their time with A Rocha USA, our recent cohort created this short video: Behind the scenes with our Interns – Spring 2024.

We are privileged to work with our Conservation Interns, past and present.

They have created informative and accessible research projects through StoryMaps, produced stunning photography and creative writing projects, presented at conferences, and written articles for outside publications. They have also organized and assisted at community events, such as Stenis Tract workdays and Picnics en el Arroyo. 

Our 2022-2023 Conservation Interns continue to pursue their vocations and stay connected to A Rocha: 

• Nick Davis finished his first year of grad school at Bethune-Cookman University, pursuing an MS in Environmental Sciences. He recently helped lead a marine debris cleanup on the beach, and was joined by Dr. Bob Sluka, A Rocha’s Lead Scientist for Marine Conservation!

• Alli Cutting lives in Vancouver and is researching women and gender equity in the fisheries sector. Alli wrote a piece on fisheries for A Rocha in June 2023, which you can read here.

We thank all our interns for their valuable contributions and look forward to following their next steps in creation care!