2022-2023 Interns

Energy Team
Cameron Hadley
Team Leader

Hi everyone! My name is Cameron Hadley and I'm a Junior from Chantilly, Virginia. I am double majoring in Environmental Policy & Planning and Economics. I'm passionate about a lot of sustainability topics, but I am most interested in sustainable policymaking and the economics of environmental protection. In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, and hanging out with friends. I'm excited to work with everyone to make Virginia Tech's energy system cleaner and more efficient!

Sean Murray
Communications Representative

Hello! My name is Sean Murray, I’m a senior from Warrenton, Virginia studying Environmental Data Science. I am completing minors in Geographic Information Systems, Data & Decisions, as well as Geography. I am so excited to be a part of the Energy Team and help promote sustainability as a core value of student life at Virginia Tech! Through this internship, I hope to work with a diverse array of people who are also passionate about making steps to guide our campus towards carbon neutrality as soon as possible. After graduation, I am planning on using my skills creating maps and infographics to advocate for pro-environmental policies and encourage the expansion of renewable energy.

Renee Sarmiento

My name is Renée Sarmiento. I’m a freshman from Falls Church, Virginia, but I recentely moved here from Rome, Italy. I’m majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Environmental Policy and Planning and Italian! I am so delighted to be working at the Office of Sustainability, and specifically the Energy Team. This internship is an incredible opportunity to work among passionate environmentalists and strive for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality at Virginia Tech. Growing up with a love for science, public service, and the environment, majoring in biochemistry is part of my plan to combat climate change from a scientific level while learning about policy to focus on laws that can make a difference. My other passions include softball, reading, hiking, traveling and spending time with friends! I’ve traveled and lived in five out of the seven continents and Antarctica is next on my list.

Hanna Eljaiek

My name is Hanna Eljaiek and I am a senior majoring in Environmental Policy and Planning. I will be graduating Spring 2023. I am excited to be in a position that can help to push for sustainable change. I am also involved in VT Mock Trial and Latin Link at Tech. I hope to travel the world and continue to push Environmental Awareness through whatever means. I think it’s important to push for the necessary change we need to be making across all landscapes.

Aditya Sivaraman

Hello! My name is Aditya Sivaraman and I’m a Sophomore majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a double minor in Mathematics and Engineering Science & Mechanics. I’m incredibly excited to be working with the Office of Sustainability with this Internship focused on developing innovative solutions to promote Energy efficiency at Virginia Tech’s campus sharpening my problem-solving skills while working with a diverse group of individuals in the process. I have always been passionate about climate change and exploring sustainable solutions through the field of STEM to engineer solutions using technology that can help mitigate and eliminate the worst effects of the climate crisis. As a result, I hope to use the engineering skills and knowledge that I gain in College to work in the Aerospace Industry to design aircraft that are carbon neutral and have zero-percent emissions by starting my own company. Outside of class, I am involved in a number of Sustainable Engineering Design Teams such as Design, Build, Fly, and Solar Car at Virginia Tech. I am additionally involved in Undergraduate Research at Virginia Tech where I apply the Engineering theory I gain from my classes to projects that have practical applications to improve my critical thinking skills. Aside from Engineering, I am also interested in Politics and Geography and I love learning about other Cultures. During my free time, I like to work out, play video games, spend time outdoors and hang out with my friends.

Water Team 
Ashton Taylor
Team Leader

Hi! My name is Ashton Taylor and I'm a senior majoring in Environmental Policy & Planning and minoring in Smart & Sustainable Cities and French. I am so excited to work with my community at Virginia Tech lessen our footprint on the environment and build a more sustainable campus. After graduation, I hope to work on issues like environmental justice either through the public or private sector. In my free time, I love spending time with friends and family, reading, hiking, camping, and running!

Hannah Worthy
Communications Representative

Hi friends! My name is Hannah Worthy and I’m a sophomore majoring in Environmental Conservation and Society with a minor in Forestry.  I’ve spent my life outdoors whilst participating in activities like camping, hiking, and I am always happy to support local state/city parks.  I am so thrilled to be working with the Water Team, as I hope to learn more about sustainable actions toward wetland restoration.  I feel very passionate about the restoration efforts for The Chesapeake Bay Watershed which impacts not only my hometown, but several other states.  I hope to combine my years experience as an assistant teacher and my education about conservation/sustainability to be an environmental educator.  I hope to teach people of all ages about how easily their actions can effect their ecosystem.

Meghan Childress

Hey I’m Meghan Childress! I am a junior from Powhatan, VA majoring in environmental science and minoring in psychology. I have always been passionate about sustainability which is why I am extremely excited to be working with VT’s Office of Sustainability! In my free time, I love hiking, hanging out with friends, and spending time outside! My hope for this year is to increase awareness about environmental issues that the world is currently facing. I’m looking forward to working with the other members on the water team this year as we help our community implement more sustainable practices. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together this year!

Michelle Millirons

Hello! My name is Michelle Millirons. I am a senior double majoring in Environmental Policy and Planning and Political Science. After spending the summer abroad, studying sustainable policy-making and planning in Europe, I am excited to make a difference and apply my new experiences and knowledge to our community. I hope to promote greener lifestyles at Virginia Tech and spread knowledge about the importance of clean water systems. After graduation, I would love to enter the field of urban planning and promote more sustainable practices in highly populated areas. I am so excited to be a part of the water team this year and help make campus a greener and more sustainable community!

Jordan Lavey

Hey! My name is Jordan Lavey, I’m a freshman from Lynnfield, Massachusetts. I’m majoring in Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, with a minor in Geographic Information Science. I absolutely love going to the beach and hiking back home, so I’m really excited to get to know the mountains of Virginia! I hope to learn more about ways students (including myself) can make their everyday lives more environmentally-friendly. Im super excited to be a part of this program, and I can't wait to help push for more sustainable changes on our campus!

Waste Team
Madison Norman
Team Leader - Fall

Hello! My name is Madison Norman and I am a junior from Ashburn, Virginia majoring in Environmental Conservation and Society with a minor in Pathways to Sustainability in the Class of 2024. As a returning participant of this internship, I am excited to continue and improve the Plastic Bag Collection program implemented last year and work with this year’s Waste Team! I am passionate about promoting environmental awareness and changing the unsustainable everyday habits that have been integrated into our society. One of the reasons I am in college is to learn about what I would like to do in the future, but as long as I’m working to protect the environment then I am in the right profession. As well as being a student involved in sustainable initiatives on campus, I am also a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi and a student of the Honors College. In my free time I enjoy painting, cooking, gardening, going on walks, and spending as much time outside as possible. I cannot wait to get involved and make a positive difference on campus and in the community!

Sam Janousek
Team Leader - Spring

Hi Everyone! My name is Sam Janousek and I am a Senior in Biological Systems Engineering with a minor in green engineering. I am really excited to work with like minded people and come up with sustainable solutions to issues around campus. I was inspired to become an intern with the Office of Sustainability in hopes of making some change around campus. I have spent a lot of time with the Virginia Tech student organization Protectors of the Watershed picking up trash on and off campus. Nothing has spoken more to me for the need for sustainable intervention than the physical impact of litter on our environment. Sustainability is in every facet of our lives and it is imperative that each person, community, university and organization takes responsibility for the ways we impact our earth!

Sanaa Payge

Hi! My name is Sanaa Payge and I am from Arlington, VA in Northern Virginia. I am going into my last year at VT as a senior majoring in Smart and Sustainable Cities (SSC) with a minor in African Studies. My pairing of city-oriented environmental studies with African Studies allows for a gap in academics to bridge between the Black community and environmental impacts. In a way, I aim to create my own environmental justice minor. This year, I will be the communications lead on the waste team working with the Office of Sustainability. I am most excited about finding new methods to create something sustainable! It can be a challenge, but a fun one. Additionally, on-campus I am one of two Senior Editors for Her Campus' Virginia Tech chapter. I am thrilled to begin my last school year working with the OST!

Julianne Cerato
Communications Representative

Hello there! My name is Julianne Cerato and I am a junior student from Long Island, New York! My major is in Environmental Conservation and Society and I also have a minor in Sustainability. I am extremely passionate about animal rights and welfare (I first became a vegetarian when I was 14 years old!). Additionally, I serve as the historian for Lambda Iota Mu. My goals as an intern with the Office of Sustainability and serving on the waste management team are to better educate college students on the impact that our single use choices - such as fast fashion or excessive disposable plastic usage - have on not only the planet, but on people as well.

Camille Basilii

[Photo and Bio Coming Soon]

Food Team 
Katie Smith
Team Leader

Hi! My name is Katie Smith and I am a junior studying Environmental Policy and Planning with plans to graduate in spring of 2024. I developed a passion for the environment growing up visiting the beautiful beaches in my home state of New Jersey and seeing the impact climate change had on the fragile ecosystems there. In my free time, I love hiking, reading, listening to music, or drinking a cup of coffee. I’m excited to work to make a difference to decrease food waste, increase the availability of more sustainable food options, and continue to educate members of the Virginia Tech community about the impact that food can have on the planet.

Emma Sahlgren

Hi everyone! My name is Emma Sahlgren, I am a senior in Environmental Policy and Planning, and a double minor in Global Food Security and Health and Spanish. I am passionate about food security and food policy. Helping the Virginia tech community is important to me and in the past as a part of Alpha Chi Omega  I have helped organize events to raise awareness and donations for causes important to me that impact our community. This internship is an incredible opportunity for me to be able to interact with the Virginia tech community to increase awareness about food security on college campuses, sustainable food choices, and decreasing food waste. After graduation I would love to go to graduate school to study international development with a focus on food security. I can’t wait to help make Virginia Tech more sustainable and I am looking forward to working with everyone in the internship program!

Kloe Rife
Communications Representative

Hi!  My name is Kloe Rife, I am from Haysi, Virginia, and I am a senior majoring in Environmental Resources Management with a minor in Forestry.  I work at DX in Dietrick Hall as a Student Manager, serve as a peer mentor for the College of Natural Resources and Environment, and this is my second year as an intern on the Food Team.  My passion for food sustainability is rooted in my lifelong citizenship in a small, underserved area.  I am excited to be joining the food team for another year and continuing our work surrounding food sustainability on our campus!

Susan Sale

Hi, I’m Susan! I’m a junior studying Industrial Design, and I’m thrilled to be joining the Food Team and interning with the Office of Sustainability again. Doing this work last year helped me realize how important sustainable practices are to… basically everything, which encouraged me to minor in Green Engineering. In the future, I hope I can design products and services to be more sustainable. I joined the Food Team because I’m especially interested in improving food security and increasing sustainable agriculture. Some organizations I’m especially excited to continue working with this year are the Market at VT and Bee Campus at VT. And most of all, I’m excited to work with my teammates and see all the swag things we can accomplish together!

John Huston

Hi!  My name is John Huston and I am an ecological restoration major with a passion for regenerative agriculture.  I hope to work at the nexus between these two fields, adding sustainable and inclusive food sources to restoration projects in order to increase the benefits of ecological restoration.  My dedication to sustainability stems from my love for the outdoors.  I spent most of my time as a kid in the woods around my neighborhood, which seeded the concept in my head that we are a part of nature, not apart from or above it.  The more I observed, the more I saw how disconnected society was from our roots.  After spending the last year working at Den Hill Permaculture Farm and the Blacksburg Farmers Market, I have seen the way food connects people and I think reconnecting people to their food sources is an essential part of creating a sustainable human-environment relationship.  I am excited to work with Virginia Tech's Office of Sustainability to not only meet people who share my passion, but to connect students to their food sources and raise awareness around local, inclusive and regenerative agriculture.  Aside from school and work, I enjoy hiking and camping, mountain biking, climbing and mycology.