Plant Chicago’s internship program encompasses many topics and disciplines related to our mission of cultivating local circular economies. At Plant Chicago, we strive to ensure that the internship experience is beneficial to the individual by shaping the program to fit their particular interests and goals. Currently, we are hosting interns within each of our programs: Small Business, Education, and the Farmers Market.
Meet our 2021 interns!
Alejandra Bergquist is a second year student at the University of Chicago deciding between studying biology, biochemistry, molecular engineering, or environmental science (or any combination of these fields). She chose Plant Chicago because of "[our] determination to inspire sustainability initiatives within [our] local community through empowerment and inclusion." Fun fact about Alejandra: She is from California and loves to surf!
Isabelle Borkowski recently graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability with a BA in Environmental Policy and a minor in Spanish Language and Literature. She is now excited to be working with Plant Chicago over the summer as a Small Business Intern conducting product research, designing educational signage, and optimizing The Firehouse Market rubric.
Julie Duchemin is French and Brazilian. She studied finance in Paris and moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil where she worked in an investment bank for a few years and then as an internal consultant for small businesses in the food industry. She is now an MBA student at the Ross School of Business, looking to make a shift towards a career with a positive impact. She joined Plant Chicago to learn more about sustainability and how small businesses can implement Circular Economy practices.
Camila Jaramillo is a rising second-year at the University of Chicago, supporting Elise with work related to our Circular Economy Leaders Network. She’ll be focusing on waste diversion and assisting small businesses. Camila chose Plant Chicago because she’s interested in learning the best way to incorporate sustainability in her life as well as how to promote sustainability in her local community. A fun fact about Camila is that she lived in Cartagena, Colombia until she was eight years old.
Alexa Smith is a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in environmental science with concentrated studies in environmental economics, environmental law, and sustainability. She is also committed to environmental justice issues, pursuing several climate action and food insecurity projects both on and off campus. In the future, she plans to continue circular economy based activism. Alexa is also a published author of a book on the subject called An Economic Eclipse: Shifting Toward a Sustainable Future by Eliminating Waste.