Alyssa Williamson is the focus this week of our Intern Spotlight.
Alyssa lives in Columbia, South Carolina and is currently a senior at Arizona State University. Alyssa began working for Starbucks in 2015 and has been completing her undergraduate degree through Starbucks' SCAP program via ASU for the last four years. She decided to pursue a degree in Sustainability in 2017 when she began to independently learn about and research the topic of fast fashion and its impact on the environment. Quickly developing a passion for this issue, she knew that sustainability was what she was meant to pursue in life. Alyssa is graduating from ASU this fall with a B.S. in Sustainability and a minor in Project Management.
During Alyssa’s search for an internship, it was very important to her to work with people who shared her value system. She chose to intern with Seaside Sustainability because she could tell she lived and breathed by our mission statement. She was excited to find an organization whose values align so closely with her own. As a non-profit organization focused on educating others on the importance of protecting our planet’s waterways, she was inspired by Seaside Sustainability's work to educate young people on climate issues and also draft local legislation.
Alyssa has found the people she has worked with to be the best part of working at Seaside Sustainability. Her favorite part of each week is talking to her fellow interns, as well as the board members. She has found the close-knit network to be a great thing to have during a pandemic and will truly miss everyone when her time with Seaside Sustainability is over. As both an intern and a Management Fellow, she has enjoyed providing support to other interns and feedback on current projects. She has also loved working on different projects, particularly the Green Scholars curriculum. It's something she wishes she had experienced in high school and she finds it exciting to see it come to life.
Alyssa is currently searching for jobs within the sustainability sector. Her internship has prepared her for the future helping her to hone new professional skills and reaffirm her passion for sustainability. Thank you Alyssa for helping Seaside Sustainability improve on a daily basis!