Introducing Our 2026 Summer Interns!

We are excited to introduce our 2026 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 9th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Ishika Anand, Kyle Chang, Ayaan Dwivedi, Manya Sikka, Amanda Wang, and Nico B. Westter.

Left to Right: Kyle, Ayaan, Ishika, Niko, Amanda and Manya

Nico, Amanda and Manya will be working on the "Understanding the food waste pyramid" project.

Food waste is a big contributor to climate change. When food ends up in landfills, it creates powerful greenhouse gases like methane. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. Through this internship, interns will learn why food waste matters and how communities can reduce it. They will work with real data from local waste haulers, research solutions used in other cities and organizations, and explore how composting can cut emissions. By the end of the internship, they will build skills in research, data analysis, and communication, and share their findings with the GreenTown board and the community.

They will be mentored by Madhuri Davidson (GreenTown board member) & Margie Suozzo (Zero waste leader, Schools WoW leader and former board member).

Ishika, Kyle and Ayaan will be working on "Promoting Responsible Use of the Batteries That Power Our Lives" project.

Our world is full of electronics and many of these devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries. But what happens to those hazardous batteries when they reach the end of their useful life? Hopefully they are properly recycled through a program like the Rotary Climate Action Committee’s Lithium-Ion Recycling Program. Through this internship, interns will help promote this program to local residents by creating short-form videos and other media content demonstrating what items can be recycled through the program, what happens to batteries when they are properly disposed of, and the dangers when they are not.

They will be mentored by Laura Teksler (GreenTown board member and Electrification Lead) and  Clari Nolet (Chair, Los Altos Rotary Climate Action Committee)

Ishika Anand

My name is Ishika Anand and I'm a rising junior at Los Altos High School. My interest in sustainability stems from my experience as a member of my school's Green Team. In addition to sustainability, I'm also incredibly passionate about engineering. I am a part of my school's FIRST Robotics Competition team, which drew me to the Lithium Ion Battery Recycling project. Outside of sustainability and engineering, I'm also a goalie on my school's varsity field hockey team and I learn an Indian classical dance style called Kathak.

Kyle Chang

Hello! I’m Kyle, a rising senior at Hillbrook Upper School. I’ve always loved nature, but my passion for climate action sparked in 9th grade while visiting an Alaskan homestead where we used composting toilets, we foraged for food, and our energy came from micro-hydropower & woodstoves. Under the umbrella of sustainability, my particular interest is in renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and batteries. To understand these particular systems, I went to Brown pre-college for a summer. Throughout my years in high school, I have done multiple environmental and pollution-based analyses, examining the effects of diesel pollution on asthma rates, PM 2.5 on the Urban Heat Island Effect, and the discrepancies between the locations of EV chargers and roads commonly frequented by vehicles. I interned at Tidelines Institute in Alaska, learning about sustainable indigenous practices and documenting the culturally modified trees in the area. I’ve also gotten the chance to help my community by working with organizations like the Trash Punx, where I picked up trash around San Jose; People Assisting the Homeless, where I organized community events for the unhoused and interim-housed community; and Community Cycles of California, where I repaired and provided bikes to those facing economic challenges. Outside of the climate space, I enjoy photography, sports, and robotics. In the future, I hope to study and build energy systems necessary for environmental conservation.

Ayaan Dwivedi

Hi, my name is Ayaan and I’m a rising junior at Los Altos High School. My interest in environmental topics stems from early memories of exploring our city’s beautiful parks and spending time outside playing sports. Preserving these local natural spaces for future families to enjoy is a core goal of mine. Furthermore, I began venturing deep into the STEM field in high school, particularly through robotics. With many of my new engineering experiences, I thought more about sustainability questions related to electronics and their environmental impact. I hope to have a unique impact by using the intersection of this knowledge to improve the sustainability of batteries and all other electronics. Outside of school, I love to play tennis, cook, and listen to music!

Manya Sikka

Hello! I’m Manya, a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I’m passionate about public health and using data to improve the well-being of my community. I’ve been working with students in underserved communities for almost 3 years, which has shown me the effect that environmental conditions can have on groups of people. These experiences made me interested in the intersection of public health and sustainability. Through Greentown, I hope to mitigate the amount of food waste in our town while ensuring that we can implement sustainable, realistic measures to create lasting change. Outside of sustainability and advocacy, I love to hike and listen to music.

Nico B. Westter

Hello! I’m Nico, a rising senior at Mountain View High School, I like to draw and listen to music, I’d say I’m a creative person. I was inspired to focus on the environment after volunteering with Grassroots Ecology, an organization dedicated to maintaining nature’s natural environment. Next, I was part of the Filoli Historic Museum & Garden Horticulture Internship, taking care of the public garden, continuing my journey of promoting ways to protect nature. I like researching topics I’m interested in, which is what led me to being a part of the Green Town Los Altos’ team in an attempt to understand the food waste problem in our area.

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