Mosaics 2023 Interns

Ameen Asbahi

University of Michigan
Mount Rainier National Park, North Coast and Cascades Network - [Park Home]
Ameen is a junior at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor studying the Program in the Environment with a major specialization in conservation biology. Ameen has been obsessed with wildlife since he could read. After college, he plans to pursue a Masters of Science in either vertebrate or restoration ecology, with the goal of helping to reform our relationship with land in the United States. Through habitat restoration and community based conservation, he hopes to plant forests on forgotten land and create a future where diverse ecosystems can be easily experienced at a local level. Growing up in the western suburbs of Chicago, he did not have easy access to outdoor experiences. In his community, there is minimal knowledge of conservation and ecosystem services, as people do not recognize the impact of nature on their daily lives. He is eager to meet other passionate BIPOC students who are drawn to nature.This summer, he is so excited to work with the North Coast & Cascades Inventory Monitoring Network, based in Mount Rainier National Park. His position involves science communication and sub-alpine vegetation monitoring. Effective science communication is essential in bridging the gap between scientific understanding and policy implementation, and he is eager to further develop his skills in this area. These skills could help him educate his community at home about the value of conservation and ecosystem services. He also cannot wait to experience the Pacific Northwest for the first time, and is grateful for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful area.

Avani Fachon

University of Colorado, Boulder
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, John Muir National Historic Site, Muir Woods National Monument, Pinnacles National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore - [Park Home]

Avani graduated from University of Colorado Boulder in 2021 with a B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Media Production. As the recipient of a National Science Foundation Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship, Avani studied barn swallows and their movement behavior, breeding biology, and habitat use with the CU Safran Lab. She is interested in the intersection of ecological research and media-making and is involved with several art-science projects that aim to inspire action towards a more inclusive and sustainable future. She is excited to participate in the Mosaics in Science Program as a Science Communication Assistant, as it provides a unique opportunity to build her multimedia-making skills around a topic which she is very passionate about—climate change and how it is impacting biodiversity and ecosystem processes. She is inspired by the way in which narratives can encourage critical thinking and awareness about environmental issues through audience-relevant, creative, and affect-driven approaches, and is looking forward to creating outreach materials which share compelling stories from the San Francisco Bay Area Network's vital signs monitoring programs. She aspires to design resources that can serve as accessible entry points for communities underrepresented in STEM to develop a greater sense of belonging in nature and science, and is grateful for the opportunity to work towards this goal with the support of Mosaics in Science and the SFAN science communication team.

Briana Salcido

University of Texas at El Paso
Waco Mammoth National Monument - [Park Home]

Briana Alyce Salcido is currently in her last semester as a Master’s student in Environmental Science at The University of Texas at El Paso. As she prepares to embark on the next stage of her career, she is excited to join a program that shares her commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a woman of color in a field that is still dominated by men, she is all too aware of the challenges that can arise from feeling like an outsider. That's why she was immediately drawn to this program, which emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive community for underrepresented groups in STEAM fields. She believes that by working together and sharing our unique perspectives, we can achieve real progress towards a more just and sustainable world. Looking ahead, she is eager to explore a range of professional opportunities in the environmental science field. Whether it's conducting research, advocating for policy change, or working with communities to develop sustainable practices, she is excited to use her skills and knowledge to make a positive impact. Ultimately, her goal is to help create a world where people and nature can thrive together, and is excited to be part of a program that shares that vision. She is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and looks forward to making a meaningful impact in the field of earth sciences.

Caitlyn Klemm

University of California, Merced
Death Valley National Park - [Park Home]

Caitlyn Klemm graduated from UC Merced in 2022 with a BA in English. She intends to continue her education in the future and pursue a degree in biology or ecology. Her prior internships with the Park Service have not only influenced but also rekindled her love for conservation work both in science communication and field work. As a humanities graduate with an interest in the sciences, she firmly believes in the interconnectedness of conservation. Caitlyn hopes to add to the effort by continuing her work with the National Park Service; her upcoming position in Death Valley monitoring and digitizing will not only add to this, but also engage her interest in modern botany, an interest that had been spurred by her fieldwork in Yosemite. Caitlyn dreamed of working in nature as a child—one that she thought she had forfeited in college to engage with literature analysis instead. However, her various opportunities with the Park Service have shown her that this dream is not only possible but also within grasp.

Elise Chan

Middlebury College
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - [Park Home]

Elise is a junior at Middlebury College in Vermont pursuing a major in geology and a minor in geography. In these fields, she is most interested in geomorphology and the interconnection between both the human and geologic processes shaping the Earth’s surface. She is also interested in applying GIS and remote sensing tools to study the impacts of these processes. While volunteering as a search and rescue responder in her home state of Washington, she realized how important it is to serve her community in her career. Combining this with her academic interests has led her to plan to pursue a career with a state or federal land management agency. She was drawn to Mosaics in Science for the opportunity to experience working with a federal land management agency and meet people who are working in roles that she could see herself in.

Elsy Martinez

Lamar University
Oregon Caves National Monument - [Park Home]

Elsy Martínez was born in Honduras and moved to the US at the age of 11. She majored in Biology with a minor in Chemistry at Lamar University. Her interests are in aquatic ecology and conservation. She has worked with bivalve mollusks, echinoderms, and benthic organisms during my college years. She took interest in the Mosaics in Science program because it would bring diversity within the parks and inspire young women in the STEM field. She is excited and looking forward to working this summer at Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve as a Natural Resource Management Assistant. This opportunity will allow her to expand her skills and knowledge in cave monitoring and hydrology monitoring, which are necessary to help grow as a professional.

Isabel Sonora

Northland College
Mammoth Cave National Park - [Park Home]

Isabel Sonora is currently a senior at Northland College, where she works as a teaching assistant for an evolution course and as a research assistant for the Plant & Ecology Research Lab . Through this lab, she has had the opportunity to work with various great scientists on many vegetation monitoring projects. She has also produced her senior capstone through the lab, which encapsulates temporal change in understory community composition of mesic, hardwood forests in northern Wisconsin. As a biology major, she has studied a variety of disciplines including botany, mammalogy, and wetland ecology and finds herself gravitating toward paleontology. Since she was young, she has been intrigued by paleontology. The opportunity to work with a specimen collection from the late Paleozoic and gain insight into field techniques at Mammoth Cave National Park seemed unbelievable. Gaining experience in the field of paleontology will help Isabel reach her educational goal to attend graduate school, with a focus on paleontology. Isabel realizes, as she enters her fourth year of undergraduate, that she is providing a pivotal example to her younger self, proving that it is possible to accomplish her dreams. She hopes to show people of underrepresented communities considering any field in science, that the fight is worth the gained comprehension, experience, and confidence. Most of all, she strives to be a role model to younger generations hoping to pursue a college education and career in a scientific field.

Isabella Yallapragada

Indiana University Bloomington
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park - [Park Home]

Isabella is a public affairs and environmental science graduate student at Indiana University, Bloomington. Isabella is excited to gain greater hands-on experience with natural resource management through her Mosaics internship, as well as develop her abilities to communicate and cultivate relationships with the public. She is also excited about the opportunity to grow her technical writing and communication skills. Her perspective on conservation is greatly shaped by a deep appreciation for the natural world that sustained her mother’s family for generations as coffee farmers in Honduras. While she understood that much of her family’s survival depended on the responsible stewardship of natural resources, this value was more simply and emotionally embedded through the knowledge of her grandfather’s spiritual use of native plants. Her desire to work in conservation is driven by the knowledge that our natural resources not only sustained her family physically and financially, but that it had sustained them emotionally and spiritually as well. Ultimately, her goal is to work alongside indigenous organizations to integrate emerging climate science with an indigenous land ethic to create climate change mitigation/adaptation frameworks that draw upon the unique power of community and culture.

James Nagaoka

The Ohio State University
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park - [Park Home]

James Nagaoka graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2022 Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Evolution and Ecology. He really enjoys learning about the natural world and how many of the environments and organisms came to be and interact with each other. He applied to the Mosaics in Science Internship because he really likes the emphasis on diversity in STEM and believes that the field would be better by bringing more people with different backgrounds to the table. He is excited about the opportunities for professional development through MIS that align with his professional goals. Specifically, he chose the Education Assistant Internship to become further prepared to enter the education field following his internship. This program will provide him with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the education field. He loves nature and teaching. Being able to teach about nature, while in nature is a dream for James. Last, he is very excited to be living in Rhode Island, a region of the country that is new to him as he has lived in California, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Julio Campis Diaz

Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Yosemite National Park - [Park Home]

Julio Campis Díaz is an undergraduate biology student at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Julio is looking forward to the opportunity to work with biologists while also representing Latino scientists motivated in environmental sciences. He is certain that his site and study, the Great Grey Owl research in Yosemite National Park, will serve as a steppingstone to achieve his professional goals of being an ecologist for the National Park Service. He wishes to help protect our National Parks and the magic each park holds. He will do this by pursuing ecology and conservation efforts in Puerto Rico and around the world as he grows into a scientist and educator. He is interested in population dynamics and how animals react to anthropogenic factors. Julio fell in love with birds through the Fish and Feathers Internship and wishes to continue onto a PhD in ornithology. During Julio’s free time, he enjoys playing the guitar, hiking, bird watching, and exploring the freshwater bodies around my island.

Larissa Sweeney

Nova Southeastern University
Buck Island Reef National Monument, Christiansted National Historic Site - [BUIS Park Home] [CHRI Park Home]

Larissa Sweeney was born and raised on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. She is currently a junior at Nova Southeastern University in South Florida, pursuing a degree in Psychology. She has always loved being outside and exploring the National Parks on St. Croix from her youth through early adulthood. Larissa had the experience of working with resource management and getting involved in multiple projects including the native ground lizard re-introduction, mangrove propagation, coral treatments, and sea turtle research. Assisting on this project allowed her to learn new skills in the office and assist with field work. This experience brought her attention to a different aspect of science outside of her major. Environment for the Americas allows her to explore interests and passions that arose later in her undergraduate career. Although the Mosaics in Science program is not directly focused on bird conservation, she is interested in exploring this area of work during the internship and beyond. Larissa finds it comforting to do research and learn more about the environments she has grown up around all her life. She is excited to allow this internship to guide her towards a higher path to my professional path.

Maya Nivarthi

Indiana University
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument - [Park Home]

Maya Nivarthi is a junior at Indiana University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a minor in Law and Public Policy. Maya’s interests include conservation efforts and natural resource management. Maya is looking forward to focusing on botany, ethnobotanical implications of native species, and the rich historical background of the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Her role will assist in improving the accessibility of the herbarium and scientific information to all groups of people, which aligns with her interest in science outreach to children and people who may not have much exposure to the sciences. She is also excited to work in the remote region of Western Nebraska, a region of the country she has not yet explored. In the future, she wants to pursue a career where she has the ability to improve the lives of others through science while being environmentally responsible. Some of her professional interests and goals include working as a research scientist for the National Park Service, working towards solutions to improve food security globally, and generally making and leaving a positive impact on the world. She is looking forward to gaining many new and valuable experiences through her internship, as well as meeting the awesome people that work at the site and exploring my new home. Aside from her professional and academic interests in this opportunity, she also loves nature, being outdoors, and exploring new places.

Maya Scanlon

University of California, Berkeley
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore - [GOGA Park Home] [PORE Park Home]

Maya Scanlon is a rising junior at the University of California, Berkeley studying Natural Resources with an emphasis in watershed and waterways. Additionally, she is pursuing a minor in Geospatial Information Systems and Technology. She has various professional and extracurricular experiences that have helped her develop her critical thinking and problem-solving skills in team settings. Her academic and personal career goals relating to conservation stem from her childhood growing up in Arcata, CA, surrounded by the giant Redwoods that provide habitat to the unique fauna that thrive within the Six Rivers National Forest. Her professional goals relate to natural resource management and conservation of public lands, specifically in Humboldt County. She hopes to work in wildland fire ecology, watershed conservation, and sustainable fishery management methods within a changing climate. Being away from my hometown has made me recognize not only how special it is, but also how much room for change there is. Before she moves back, she wants to gain as much experience as she can in different biomes and various fields. Participating in this program will be an excellent opportunity for Maya to further my experience conducting fieldwork while also learning about the research process that underlies conservation efforts needed to restore and maintain diverse ecosystems. Through this program, Maya will be able to use her passion for environmental resource management to better local communities and create an equitable, sustainable future.

Michael DelCastillo

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Mississippi National River and Recreation Areas - [Park Home]

Miko DelCastillo is a third year student at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation biology. He grew up in an area that bordered the St. Croix river, which he believes influenced his passion for wildlife and nature heavily. When he is not in school, he is hiking, rock climbing, or fossil hunting. Being able to have an opportunity to participate in the Mosaics in Science program makes him feel very grateful. As a local Minnesotan, he loves that he will be working on the Mississippi floodplains surrounding St. Paul. It provides a unique experience that will add greatly to his perception of the local ecosystems. Throughout this internship, he hopes to develop a better understanding of the impacts that animals, specifically beavers, have on forest regeneration. He is interested in learning more about the ecology of the Mississippi River and using his knowledge for the betterment of the area. He loves the idea of a career based outdoors with real world applications that lead somewhere.

Olivia Montoya

Colorado State University

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - [Park Home]

Olivia Montoya is indigenous to Southern Colorado, Ute, and Northern New Mexico Taos Pueblo. She currently attends Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, CO where she is studying Geological Sciences with a concentration in hydrology, and minoring in Geospatial Information Science and Geography. Olivia’s professional goal is to become a National Park Geologist or Ranger, become an educator and mentor, and study geology and the outdoors. Her professional interests include rock identification, data collection, and cartography. She enjoys Native-American literature and history books, as well as nature and landscape photography. She is honored to have been selected to work in the San Luis Valley, the place she calls home, and looks forward to working closely with the Great Sand Dunes National Park Natural Resource Department. She is looking forward to collecting data, working outdoors, and connecting with park mentors and employees. She acknowledges and honors the Diné, Jicarilla Apache, Cheyenne, and Ute tribes of the land upon which the Great Sand Dunes National Park stands, and expresses gratitude to the stewardship of all the Indigenous peoples, both past and present, to whom this land belongs.

Rick Usami

Williams College
Olympic National Park - [Park Home]

Rick Usami studied History and Environmental Studies at Williams College. Rick is looking forward to the opportunity this summer to be in nature and explore the outdoors, as he believes there is no substitute for the tranquility nature can offer. Rick seeks to pursue a career in wildlife conservation or communication for the promotion of renewable technology and sustainable lifestyle. He believes that Mosaics in Science offers a unique opportunity where he can spend time outdoors and gain valuable experience with people with backgrounds in those fields. He is very excited to join the Olympic National Park Team and learn as much as he can over the next several months.

Saani Borge

Barnard College
San Juan Island National Historical Park - [Park Home]

Saani Borge is a California native with a degree in Evolutionary and Ecological Biology from Barnard College Columbia University. What started with beekeeping in high school evolved into a full-blown passion for wildlife and biodiversity by the time she started college. As part of Columbia’s neuroscience and psychology departments, she conducted research studies on a variety of subjects, including rhesus macaques, numbats, squirrel monkeys, and other college students. After a short stint in medical biotechnology with the groundbreaking startup Cresilon following graduation, she realized her passions lie in wildlife and natural resource management, community forestry and the conservation of ecosystems. She most recently spent the summer season stationed at the Indiana Dunes National Park as part of the Wisconsin Conservation Corp, where she conducted invasive species removal and promoted the growth of native insect populations that regularly migrate through the forest. She is thrilled at the opportunity to work with the only remaining population of the federally endangered Island Marble Butterfly through her internship at San Juan Island National Historical Park. She is especially looking forward to raising and releasing newborn butterflies back into the wild for repopulation. After participating in the Mosaics in Science program, she aims to continue working in resource management in either the private or public sector.

Savannah Domenech

Ohio Wesleyan University
Prince William Forest Park - [Park Home]

Savannah is a student at Ohio Wesleyan University and a double major in Environmental Studies and Geography. Her primary duty as a Hydrology AssistantIs to use GPS to gather data in a lake. This focus excites her as she is passionate about water and Geographic Information Systems . In particular, she isinterested in the intersection of GIS with hydrology to better understand water resources. Furthermore, she looks forward to being both in the field and office, and working with a government agency (NPS) excites her as she has only worked with non-profit organizations previously and this will allow hera new experience. She is looking forward to meeting and interacting with a variety of people who share an interest in science and learning about their sites. Professionally, she is interested in water management, particularly relating to water quality and availability, GIS, waste management, and regenerative agriculture. In addition, she is interested in how waste, especially single-use plastics and industrial manufacturing waste, affect water quality. To better understand waste and where it comes from, reading about how GIS can be used to trace and manage point and nonpoint sources of pollution and their effects intrigues her. The amount of embedded/hidden water that is used in the creation of commodities also fascinates Savannah., Spending a summer on a regenerative farm revealed how much animal and plant waste is created and water is consumed even when farming is done sustainably.For these reasons, one of her professional goals is to support crop and livestock farmers and various (especially manufacturing) industries in pursuit of more water friendly and conscious actions.

Sylvia Touchstone

Kennesaw State University
Cuyahoga Valley National Park - [Park Home]

Sylvia attends Kennesaw State University where she is majoring in Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies and a certification in Geospatial Science. While at Kennesaw State, she has had the opportunity to explore various fields within Geography, such as cultural geography and human-environment interactions to cartography and geospatial analysis. These courses have provided her with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of geography and have also equipped her with skills in using GIS software and statistical analysis to solve real-world problems. She has a passion for understanding the interconnectedness between people and their environment. She is excited about the prospect of applying her knowledge in geospatial science and environmental studies to collaborate with like-minded professionals in Cuyahoga National Park this summer as a Mosaics in Science intern. As our planet faces numerous environmental challenges, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion, Sylvia finds it essential for us to work towards finding innovative solutions that balance environmental protection, environmental functionality, and sustaining its beauty. Her ultimate career goal is to leverage her background and skills to contribute to environmental protection. She is excited about the possibility of pursuing a career in environmental conservation and sustainability.

Veronica Guevara

University of Miami
Biscayne National Park - [Park Home]

Veronica is an undergraduate student at the University of Miami majoring in Ecosystem Science and Policy, and minoring in Sociology, Geography, and Marine Science. Veronica will apply to a Masters program next fall at the Rosenstiel School Master of Professional Science at the University of Miami concentrating in Fisheries Management and Conservation. When she graduates, she wants to specialize in human activities that directly influence coastal areas specifically in Florida, but also sensitive, delicate, and endangered environments due to anthropogenic changes in different coastal areas around the globe. This program offers an opportunity for her to better understand and practice concepts that she sees frequently in class studies, such as conservation, management of the commons, compliance, integrative knowledge, and meaningful participation. The program will also allow her to learn about human complexity and a first-hand experience on how people react and have reacted not only to the environment but regulations. She believes understanding people and creating ways through which they can connect and identify with the environment around them and with how important it is to protect it, is an essential part of changing the narrative and bringing about change. She wants to learn as much as she can to be able to improve and collaborate with the systems-thinking cycle in which the political, economic, and social arenas move, perceive, and approach the environment.

Whitney Wyche

Franklin & Marshall College
Glacier National Park - [Park Home]

Whitney graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in Environmental Science in May 2023. She greatly looks forward to starting her Mosaics in Science internship at Glacier National Park this summer. This position aligns with her passion for the environment and natural resources. Being from Montana, she is familiar with the ecosystems in the West and enjoys hiking and camping. She became interested in an internship with Mosaics in Science because of their partnership with the National Park Service and their commitment to interns both in their continued support throughout the program and in their goal to make science a more diverse field. These qualities were important to her so that she could have a smooth transition from undergrad into her career post-graduation. Working as a Mosaics in Science intern at a National Park will support her short-term goal of preparing for graduate school by gaining experience working outdoors on a research project. Her project this summer is part of a larger research effort to monitor changes in the wilderness through the park’s natural soundscape due to the increase in visitors over time at Glacier National park. Following this program, her long-term goals are to manage natural resources for a sustainable future and become an ecologist. Besides being outdoors and enjoying nature, in her free time, she likes to learn new crafts, meditate, and take lots of photos.