Meet our Summer Interns 2023
Bedford 2030 is excited to welcome our 2023 summer interns! They will be supporting clean energy in transportation and buildings, highlighting natural climate solutions, and developing ongoing communications to better support our community. Let’s all welcome them to the team!
Laura Cunningham, Intern Manager and Energy Intern
I’m super excited to be Bedford 2030’s Intern Manager this summer as well as an Energy Intern. I’ve been interning with Bedford 2030 since the beginning of Summer 2022 and have found my experience so fulfilling, so I’m very grateful to contribute more this summer in a leadership role! I’m primarily interested in renewable energy and how we can make the essential conversion to clean energy as effective and accessible as possible, and I look forward to applying my skills and knowledge from my studies in electrical engineering at Binghamton University while working with local communities to achieve this goal and progress toward a more sustainable Bedford.
Sofia Jacobson, Rooted Solutions Intern
I’m a rising sophomore at Yale University studying the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. I am passionate about helping to create a difference in the community through interactive and impactful solutions for climate change. My interest in sustainability stems from the desire to make change with the current climate crisis and improve health for all. At school, I am involved with the Yale Scientific Magazine, the Women’s Leadership Initiative, and the Pauli Murray College Council. You can also find me on the soccer field, in the kitchen creating a fun dessert, and playing with my rescue puppy.
Mia Handler, Communty Engagement Intern
My name is Mia Handler, and I am a rising senior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. I major in Sociology and minor in Environmental Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. This summer, I will focus on environmental solutions that directly involve the community in creation and implementation. See me at the Take It Or Leave It Shed on Saturdays, assisting with volunteer communication and brainstorming new projects! This position intersects with my academic interests in sociology, which is how climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities. I believe that community-informed work is the only way society has a chance at mitigating climate change, as well as other large societal issues, so I am very proud to be a part of a team with successful history of community engagement. I can’t wait to connect with the amazing Bedford community this summer!
Dylan Ouderkirk, Energy Intern
Hi, I’m Dylan Ouderkirk, a rising junior at Vassar College. I’m minoring in Sustainability and my interest in the environment began by going to summer camp for many years. I’ve taken some environmental economic and sustainability classes and I am most interested in working with sustainable investments and ESG practices in the future.
I worked with Bedford2030 last summer to certify them as a Silver Climate Smart community. This summer, I will be analyzing aggregate municipal energy data to complete a government NYSERDA GHG inventory.
Alexa Schuster, ASPIRE intern
Hi! I’m Alexa Schuster, a graduating Senior at Fox Lane High School and ASPIRE intern for Bedford 2030. I’ve been brought into the world of sustainability since the day I was born. My mother is a very enthusiastic composter/gardener, so it was only natural for me to intern for Bedford 2030. Although I’m not much of a gardener like my mom, I really enjoy graphic design and cartooning, and using it to benefit the world in multiple ways. Check out some of my design work on Bedford 2030’s social media channels! I will be attending attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute fall of 2023 with a major in Communication, Media & Design with a dual in Electronic Arts.
Riley Hester, ASPIRE intern
Hi I’m Riley Hester, a Senior graduating from Fox Lane HS who just completed an ASPIRE internship with Bedford 2030. I will be attending Claremont McKenna College this fall.
I’m an avid waste warrior, and created a recycling program called Recycle Right with Riley in 8th grade. Since then, I competed in 2 Greenlight competitions, interned at Greenwich Audubon researching water quality & plant coverage, and interned at Woods Hole doing coral reef research. I’m a proud member of the Pound Ridge Conservation Board and a Cross-country runner. I’m excited to continue working with Bedford 2030 through the summer to devlop ways for Greenlight participants to collaborate and advance each others’ projects!