NSR Welcomes Culture + Sustainability Interns
New Sun Rising welcomes three dynamic summer interns to the team. Two will be supporting the Director of Sustainability, Zaheen Hussain, and his work surrounding Air-Quality and one supporting the Director of Culture + Fiscal Sponsorship, Daniel Stiker.
This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to expand organizational capacity around the Vibrant Communities Framework of Culture, Sustainability, and Opportunity while also gaining input from + contributing to the development of young professionals in the Pittsburgh region. Without further ado, may we introduce:
Noah Robinson, Sustainability
Noah Robinson, 21, is one of the new air quality interns at New Sun Rising. He will be a senior in the fall at the University of Pittsburgh where he is studying Environmental Science. In his own words,
I have a huge passion for the environment and the outdoors simply because I grew up in the beautiful New England states. My family were huge outdoor adventurers when I was growing up. We would annually take trips to Acadia National park, kayak in the ocean, mountain bike through Maine’s forests, hike Maine’s mountains and relax on Lake Champlain in Vermont. When I moved to Pittsburgh for college, I immediately noticed the impact of pollution in the region. Learning more from my classes, I wanted to become involved in helping solve the problem and that is why I chose to intern at New Sun Rising.
I think air quality is an important issue to discuss and solve because everyone deserves to breathe clean air. Poor air quality not only affects health but also the economy of the region. Clean air results in less hospital visits, better vegetation and a more attractive city for companies. Clean air is essential for living healthy and improving the economy. I would love to do as much as I can to help the Pittsburgh region improve its air quality.
His other hobbies include photograph and ultimate frisbee. His camera is the Sony RX100 M5 and he is partial to taking star photos of the night sky and notes that he usually has his camera on him to capture anything that catches his eye. He concludes,
I’m really excited about this opportunity to work with New Sun Rising and help with the air quality projects. If you ever see me around and want to learn how to throw a frisbee or just chat, don’t be afraid to ask. Thanks for reading!
Anaïs Peterson, Sustainability
Anaïs Peterson, 20, will be a junior this fall at the University of Pittsburgh where she is majoring in Urban Studies. In the future, she hopes to attend law school in order to affect laws and policy. When her family moved to O’Hara Township from Chicago five years ago, the new environment made a lasting impression. She recounts:
Just as soon as I fell in love with being outside in Pittsburgh I learned about how terrible the air quality is here. Today I still spend a lot of my time outside doing the things that I love but I always check the air quality before leaving my house and often times I am forced to stay inside. I want Pittsburgh to continue to be this incredible mix of city and nature where people can enjoy things like the rivers and outdoor festivals. I believe that the terrible air quality in this region might change it from a vibrant area to a deserted one and I don’t want to see that happen. I love it here but if the air doesn’t get better I don’t want to stick around. I think a lot of people my age echo this same sentiment and if the air quality in this region doesn’t change the trend will become younger people moving away instead of moving here.
Anaïs’ hobbies include cloud watching and doing activist work which she notes,
I know seem completely unrelated. I love the sky because no matter where I am it is always the same sky. To me knowing that I can always look up and see the same sky is incredibly comforting and the perfect reminder that everyone on this earth shares so many things. I love doing activist work because I believe part of everyone’s purpose is to make the world a better place. What I love most about this work is meeting the other incredible people who care so deeply about the planet. I am constantly inspired by the people I am lucky
Adam Hoge, Culture
Adam Hoge, the new NSR Cultural Marketing Intern, is a senior at The University of Pittsburgh where he studies Marketing and Business Information Systems and this past semester, interned at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Having a network of passionate and driven people in his life, paired with his interest in art and design, led him to New Sun Rising. In his own words,
A job [internship] centered around culture was important to me because culture is an idea that is often overlooked, but affects how people in a community feel and interact. The positive experiences that one has within a community are directly correlated to the culture that the community thrives in. A good community culture, driven by the underlying values that make that community unique and special, can have an impact beyond that community; a wake that can benefit ourselves, our neighbors, our families, our city. It’s around this focus that I would like to contribute my efforts to New Sun Rising and the projects that it supports.
In his free time, Adam enjoys drawing, painting, play soccer and basketball, snowboarding, and traveling.