Welcoming the Coalition’s Three New Interns!
The Coalition is thrilled to welcome three new interns this summer! Coming to the Coalition through the Yale Conservation Scholars Program, Kierstin, Emma, and Flannery will tackle critical projects to support our work for clean water. Please join us in welcoming them to the Coalition!
Kierstin Hines
Hello! I’m Kierstin Hines (she/her), and I am so excited to intern with the Choose Clean Water Coalition this summer and support clean water efforts throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
I am from Chesapeake, Virginia, and I’ve always had a deep connection to the Bay and the rivers that feed into it. Growing up so close to the water inspired my passion for environmental work and motivates the work I’ll be doing this summer.
I am currently a senior at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), majoring in Environmental, Earth, and Geospatial Sciences. One of my favorite research projects was funded through a NASA grant and focused on using Topographic Wetness Indexes, ArcGIS Pro, and Python to predict flood damage in Eastern North Carolina.
This summer, my project will focus on researching and cataloging state-level clean water appropriations across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to better understand funding gaps, policy opportunities, and how states are progressing toward Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals.
Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, playing video games, and trying new restaurants and foods. I’m excited to see where this opportunity takes me and hope to make meaningful contributions to protecting clean water throughout the watershed.
Emma Kubitz
Emma at the 2025 Healing Our Waters Conference in Rochester, NY, wading through the recently restored Braddock Bay wetland area.
Hi! My name is Emma Kubitz (She/Her), and I’m super excited to work with the Choose Clean Water Coalition this summer. I have always been passionate about water advocacy and environmental justice, and I’m looking forward to advancing these initiatives across the Chesapeake Bay.
I’m originally from Dearborn Heights, MI, and grew up surrounded by the Great Lakes watershed. Much like the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, though large, are vulnerable to a plethora of environmental issues. It’s our responsibility as water advocates (whether the water is fresh or salted!) to protect these amazing watersheds we call home for ourselves and for future generations.
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, crocheting, reading, messing with my sewing machine, and spending quality time with my family and friends. You’ll find me wandering the aisles in thrift stores, discovering new and used bookshops, frequenting Michaels for craft supplies, and becoming a regular at any nearby coffee shops. I’m looking forward to exploring these and more in historic Annapolis!
Recently, I graduated with my Master's degree from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time at U of M, it’s that there is so much community to be found and fostered in the environmental space. Despite our differences, all of us can come together through our love for a clean and healthy environment. I can’t wait to discover new communities of passionate environmentalists with the Coalition this summer!
Flannery Streiff
Hi! My name is Flannery Streiff, and I am one of the undergraduate interns at Choose Clean Water Coalition this summer. Originally from Boise, Idaho, I developed a passion for the environment in high school as I learned more about how water scarcity disproportionately affects vulnerable communities in my state. I took this passion to the University of Michigan, where I am now in my third year studying environmental law and policy.
I look forward to continuing my time at UM post-graduation as a Master’s student in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), specializing in Environmental Justice and Environmental Policy. Outside of my coursework, I serve as the Communications Assistant for the UM-SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic and the Public Relations Chair for my professional environmental fraternity. These roles have shown me the importance of effective communication in the environmental space.
I am excited to incorporate environmental justice into my work this summer as I create an environmental justice policy tracker for CCWC and its members, combining my skills in outward-facing communication, policy research, and data visualization.
