Eighteen students have been selected for the sixth annual Resilient Communities Internship at the WVU Center for Resilient Communities, based in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University.
The Resilient Communities Internship, formerly known as the Sustainable Development Internship, is designed for undergraduate students who wish to cultivate their leadership and community-based research capacities to contribute to transformative social change in Appalachia. The internship provides students a space to build confidence and capacity in their search for creative solutions to local and global problems. The WVU Center for Resilient Communities launched the internship program in 2019 to support professional readiness and community-based research training, and to provide opportunities for students to engage with community partners in meaningful social action in West Virginia. Projects will focus in three areas of inquiry: Community Economies and Development, Environmental Justice and Climate Action, and Food System Transformation.
Meet the interns below!
Andrew Indomenico, Sustainability Studies and Philosophy
I was inspired to apply for the internship by my love for West Virginia and my desire to work towards a better future for the state. I hope to learn how to inspire and mobilize communities to organize around the issues that affect them the most.
Maximillian Hall, Political Science
I was inspired to apply because of my love for West Virginia along with my passion for addressing the unique challenges we face in Appalachia through long-term sustainable solutions. Through the internship I hope to gain valuable experience in community-based research while working with local partners to create more equal communities in the region.
Julia Kleinmeyer, Sustainability Studies
I was inspired by the possibility of becoming better at my craft. I am hoping to gain new skills and work with new people.
Kyleigh Edwards, International Studies
Sharing my story growing up in West Virginia and being exposed to poverty, low education, homelessness, no food, drug abuse, and more, I came to realize that there were many stories just like mine. I began to ask myself “How many more stories must continue for change?”
Molly Hardy, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
"What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another." - Chris Maser
Matthew Olivero, Political Science and Earth and Environmental Science
I want to be a part of lasting change in our communities and work collaboratively with partners to develop meaningful solutions to the problems facing the people of West Virginia.
McKayla Braun, Multidisciplinary Major in Philosophy, Sustainable Design, and Rural Community Development
I hope to gain practical experience in community engagement and sustainability while learning from diverse perspectives. I hope to contribute meaningfully to resilience-building efforts and empower communities to be their own protagonists.
Dylan Gay, Political Science
Watching the Morgantown community come together after recent policy changes at WVU, and the decisions regarding unhoused individuals, I felt inspired to do more in my community. Seeing that this internship brings together students who want to tackle issues such as food insecurity, economic instability, and focus on underrepresented communities, I knew it would be right for me. It is easy, as an individual, to feel as though it is entirely up to you to make change. I hope this internship provides me with a sense of community and challenges pre existing perspectives by fostering an environment in which myself and my peers feel comfortable sharing ideas.
Brooke Sikole, Environmental, Soil, and Water Sciences
After looking into the Center for Resilient Communities and learning about what they do, I knew that it would be a perfect fit. Through this internship, I hope to not only gain knowledge and experience, but also a deeper understanding of the community I live in and the strength that lies within it.
Tyler Dawson Bernard, Social Work
When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
Peppi DelliQuadri, Sustainable Food and Farming
"To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." - Bill Wilson. Through this internship, I hope to gain valuable hands-on work experience in the field of agriculture, further develop my understanding of the American food system, and help have a positive impact on these communities.
Scarlett Elise Connelly, Political Science
"Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others." - Booker T. Washington. From this experience, I'm hoping to develop my leadership and communication capabilities while helping others in rural Appalachian communities.
Paige Tuttle, International Studies
I wanted to learn more about the problems that people in West Virginia face, and being able to learn about it while actually helping people in the community is a really exciting opportunity.
David Olchowoj, International Studies
I hope that through working with the RCI Program, I can get more involved in the community! Being at WVU has given me a love for the Appalachian region and I hope I can help make a change through RCI.
Dylan Evan Unger, Wildlife Management
I hope to use the knowledge I gain with the CRC to better any community I choose to call home in the future.
Jessica Whetsell, RBA, Addiction Studies, Religious Studies, Communication Studies
"A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit" - Greek Proverb
Audrey Bennett, Professional Writing & Editing and Sustainability Studies
I'm interested in the RCI because it's a great way to apply both my writing skills and my passion for the environment to help people fight against climate change.
Isabelle Judy, Earth and Environmental Science
I was inspired to apply for the Resilient Communities Internship because I want to contribute to research and projects working towards creating more sustainable communities across West Virginia. I hope that through this internship, I will be able to gain experience working with real-world sustainability issues and creating solutions through collaboration.
Chelsea Kline, International Studies
It is true of the Nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer. Of course, if the dream is not followed by action, then it is a bubble; it has merely served to divert the man from doing something.’ — Theodore Roosevelt. I am deeply passionate about supporting communities around the world. I seek to gain practical experience and learn from others to create a meaningful impact on a larger scale.
See the interns’ work at the 2025 CRC Spring Symposium, tentatively scheduled for April 25.