Meet Our Summer 2025 Impact Interns:
Stories and Strategies for Environmental Progress
Our incredible interns are halfway through their summer with Maryland LCV Education Fund, and we couldn’t be more excited to share the amazing work they’re doing to advance our mission of creating a healthy environment for everyone in Maryland. Through the Do Good Institute, these students are turning research into real-world impact.
Sofia Hasrat: Mapping Maryland’s Climate Future, County by County
Public Health Science Student, University of Maryland, College Park
When Sofia Hasrat set out to create a comprehensive database of climate plans across all of Maryland’s counties, she knew she was tackling something big. But for this incoming third-year Public Health Science student and Global Health Policy enthusiast, big challenges are exactly what fuel her passion.
“My major project for this summer is to create a database containing research of the Climate Plan, sustainability initiatives, and resiliency efforts pursued within each county in Maryland,” Sofia explains. It might sound like a data deep-dive (and it is!), but the real magic happens when you understand what this work makes possible.
Think of Sofia as a climate policy detective, uncovering the sustainability gems hidden across Maryland’s 23 counties. Her meticulous research is revealing which communities are leading the charge on stormwater management, which counties have innovative energy programs, and where gaps exist that need attention. This isn’t just academic exercise – it’s creating a roadmap for environmental advocates and policymakers to replicate successful programs and support communities that need additional resources.
“By comparing these strategies, policy advocates and organizations such as Maryland LCV can identify best sustainability practices worth replicating in other areas, gaps in current approaches, and counties that could benefit from additional resources or support,” Sofia notes. Her work is providing the evidence base that transforms good intention into effective environmental policy.
As a Maryland native with dreams of working with international organizations like the World Health Organization, Sofia brings both local passion and global perspective to her internship. Her database is building the foundation for more equitable environmental action across our state.
Learn more about internship opportunities like Sofia’s through the Do Good Institute, where students turn their passion for social change into meaningful impact.
Leah Zahniser: Building an Environmental Justice Toolkit
Environmental Science and Policy Graduate, University of Maryland, College Park
If you’ve ever wondered what environmental justice really means or how it affects Maryland communities, Leah Zahniser is working to make sure you’ll soon have clear, accessible answers. This recent Environmental Science and Policy graduate is on a mission to translate complex environmental justice concepts into resources that everyone can understand and use.
Leah is creating Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impact fact sheets, designing a StoryMap that illustrates environmental justice examples right here in Maryland, drafting policy recommendations for future environmental justice work, and even writing a blog post that answers commonly asked questions about EJ. Oh, and she’s tackling Justice40 implementation – just to keep things interesting!
“My work is helping make topics related to environmental justice more accessible to the public,” Leah explains. “Through fact sheets and a StoryMap, people will be able to engage with environmental justice stories to understand better how a healthy environment hasn’t been a reality for everyone in Maryland.”
As the former outreach coordinator for 17 for Peace and Justice at UMD – where she helped create the university’s first fossil fuel investment report and assisted in passing a fossil fuel divestment bill through the Student Government Association – Leah knows how to turn research into action. Now she’s channeling that expertise into work that could reshape how Marylanders understand environmental justice.
Her approach is both practical and powerful: by raising awareness about environmental justice, people’s lived experiences, and policy gaps, she’s equipping both the public and legislators with the knowledge they need to fight for environmental equity. In a state where Maryland LCV Education Fund has championed environmental justice and worked to ensure environmental protections benefit all communities, Leah’s work provides an educational foundation for continued progress.
When environmental justice becomes accessible and understandable, real change becomes possible. And that’s exactly what Leah is making happen, one fact sheet and StoryMap at a time.
Interested in following in Leah’s footsteps? Explore environmental justice and communications opportunities through the Do Good Institute, where students build skills while building a better world.
*Both Sofia and Leah are participating in Maryland LCV Education Fund’s Impact Internship program through the University of Maryland’s Do Good Institute. Their work this summer directly advances our mission of creating a healthy environment for everyone in Maryland through education, research, and advocacy. To learn more about our work or to get involved, visit www.marylandconservation.org