Hi, my name is Alexis Bilas-Imperial and I am a rising senior majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. For the past 3 years, I have taken a multitude of classes involving geology and earth processes. MyRWA will allow me to pursue my passion in the biology and ecology aspect of this major and encourages me to jump-start my passion of conservation and environmental restoration in my community. In the future, I hope to lead research projects and discover new solutions for environmental issues.

Nathaniel is joining MyRWA this summer as a Fellow through the Tisch College at Tufts, where he is studying geology. He is originally from northern New Jersey but has come to love Medford (and the environs of the Mystic watershed) over my past three years at Tufts and consider it a second home. He is excited to spend more time on the Mystic this summer and help to restore and preserve it as a valuable public natural resource. When the weather is nice you can find Nathaniel slacklining outside on the quad or plucking a banjo.

Winn Costantini is a Master in City Planning student at MIT specializing in Environmental Policy and Planning. Before graduate school, he worked at Ceres, a Boston sustainability non-profit, engaging and managing relationships with institutional investors working on environmental, social, and governance issues through the Ceres Investor Network. He was also an outreach and education fellow at the Center for EcoTechnology, where he worked with households and small businesses to address energy efficiency and waste management challenges. In his career as a planner, he hopes to use processes of community engagement and collaborative problem solving to catalyze the development of equitable and just climate change solutions. Winn lives in Somerville, where he spends time hanging out with his cat, longboarding, and making art.

Guadalupe Garcia is a dual-degree Tufts student, she graduated undergrad with her BA in Architectural Studies and is now finishing up her MA in Urban Planning and Policy. She is a first-generation immigrant and college student. Guadalupe is local to Hialeah, FL, Camagüey, Cuba, and now the Boston area. She has done a lot of work around the immigrant community in Somerville. And hopes to continue doing planning and policy work that advocates for people and uplifts the voices of communities. Outside of school and work, Guadalupe is passionate about art, science fiction novels, and food, as well as her cute puppy, Benito.

Andrew Taylor is a 2020 Summer Fellow with the Mystic River Watershed Association. He is currently a Masters Candidate with Tufts University’s Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning department. Previously, Andrew studied Environmental Studies and Sustainability and Biology at Northern Michigan University. As an undergraduate, Andrew conducted research in the Great Lakes regarding various forms of pollution. This research galvanized his passion and goal to support communities in building a future that centers equitable environmental solutions. Andrew is from Cumberland, Maine, and a few of his hobbies are running, hiking, and boating.

Hi, my name is Katie Swan and a second-year master’s student with UEP at Tufts University. I am here at MyRWA as a climate resiliency fellow for this summer. Prior to coming to Tufts, I worked as a water quality laboratory technician at the University of New Hampshire for five years. A few fun facts about me: have three cool cats and a dog, from NH, and enjoy spending time outdoors.

Hi, I’m Rachel Wagner, a rising junior at Tufts University double majoring in environmental studies and Spanish on the pre-law track. I’m a rower on the Tufts women’s crew team where I get to enjoy sunrises on the Malden and Mystic Rivers each morning. In my spare time, I love cycling and being anywhere in nature, reading prose and poetry by latinx authors, and being with friends – a luxury I no longer take for granted. I was attracted to MyRWA because of the personal connection I have to the Mystic from crew, the environmental justice efforts and community events hosted by MyRWA, and the tea selection in the MyRWA office that showed me I had found my people. I’m thrilled to be a part of MyRWA this summer despite the odds of 2020 and proud to be involved in this nonprofit and with its people.

Meet our Summer Interns

Myrwa River