Outdoor leaders and/or summer interns have continued on or returned to the UEC as part-time or full-time staff members.

Through our Green Career Pathway program, we have seen success in interns gaining green career or educational opportunities following their internship experience with the Urban Ecology Center.

Many have gone on to do green career work across the city, and we have also observed a trend in interns returning to school to further education in environmentalism and sustainability post-internship with the UEC.

Alumni Highlights

Olivia Raasch

Current Green Career Pathways Manager for UEC, was an Outdoor Leader in the summer of 2012 and returned in the spring of 2018 as a community program educator, a volunteer coordinator, and now leading our Green Career Pathways efforts.

Denise Manjarrez Renteria

Outdoor Leader in 2014, then an intern in 2017 and 2020, and joined the Neighborhood Engagement staff team in 2021. She is now working towards her Masters degree at UWM and intends to join the UEC - Menomonee Valley Advisory Committee!

Alex Konkol

A facilities intern in green building management and research in the summer of 2014 and has been on our staff as a Facilities Coordinator since August 2014.

Erin Ganzke

Started as a summer intern in education in 2017. Since, she was a Community Program Educator, a Visitor Services Assistant, promoted to Neighborhood Engagement Specialist, and is now our Finance and Impact Evaluator.

Ethan Bott

Ethan started volunteering with the UEC at the age of 12. He was an Outdoor Leader in the summer of 2010, a Field Research intern in 2012, an Education intern in 2014, and then our GIS & Field Data Coordinator from 2019 to 2022. He is now working towards his Master of Geographic Information Systems at the University of Minnesota and is on the leadership team of Urban Bird Collective, a group that creates safe spaces for BIPOC and LGTBQ people to be outside.

Looking for an organization to host your for-credit internships, third-party job placements, or school requirements? The UEC may be the right place for you! Individuals seeking opportunities to tie nature-based learning and pathways into their degree, certification or career path.