We are excited to introduce our 2023 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 6th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Bella Castaneda, John Tahk, Mira Haldar and Trinity Willis.
Mira and John will be working on "Electrify your Home" campaign. They will be researching and creating a guide and resources to enable homeowners to learn about the benefits of electrification and how they can go about Electrifying their home. The will be mentored by Gary Hedden & Connie Miller
Bella and Trinity be will be working on "Eating Green Cookbook" campaign. The will help influence the community about the value of eating green through social media, and events like the Farmer's Market. They will be researching and compiling a cookbook with several eating-green recipes that are yummy and practical. They will be mentored by Glenda Chang.
Bella Castaneda
Hey! My name is Bella Castaneda and I am a rising junior at Homestead High school. What first got me interested in this internship was my love for cooking. I was also passionate on the idea of making a cookbook with recipes even non-vegans would enjoy. I believe it’s important for everyone to take action against global warming and food is a great place to start. My goal for the cookbook was to create vegan recipes that don’t feel like a compromise to the real thing. Outside of school, I teach swim lessons, play softball and field hockey. I’ve also been enjoying the challenge of making sourdough bread.
John Tahk
Hi! I’m John, a rising senior at Homestead High School. I’ve always really loved the outdoors, and often went hiking with my family and played sports from a pretty young age. Science Olympiad in middle school really allowed me to explore earth science and the inner workings of our Earth, but as I got older I realized that the policy and legislative part of climate science was just as important as the science itself. I’m super thankful to be able to work with Greentown on helping people electrify their homes, and hope that the work we do here makes the process of electrification much easier. On the more hands on aspect of environmental science, I’ve been working on a cool project with a mentor to try and reduce the environmental impact of tennis balls. A few fun facts about me: I love making model airplanes from scratch, my favorite gemstone is citrine, and my favorite books are the Dune and Wheel of Time series because of their immersive world building. Outside of school, I love tennis, swimming, and hiking with my friends.
Mira Haldar
Hello! I’m Mira, a rising senior at Homestead High School. Although I grew up being educated on the importance of the environment, it wasn’t until I started independently researching the topic, through activities like debate and an international policy competition, that I realized how many aspects of our life are affected by climate change. I’m excited to participate in GreenTown’s Electrification project and hope that it will encourage homeowners to take that next step. In my free time, I like to crochet and read. The book I’m currently in the middle of is Bliss Montage by Ling Ma.
Trinity Willis
Hi! I’m Trinity Willis, a rising senior at Homestead High School. I’m so excited to join GreenTown on its journey towards a greener and more environmentally sustainable planet! Cooking has always been a huge passion of mine so I’m excited to apply my experience towards creating a collection of sustainable recipes. Outside of school, I help run a Palo Alto food bank that provides free groceries and meals to over a hundred families in need by redistributing excess food otherwise discarded by local grocery stores. In my free time I create digital art and play with my two cats!