Kim Gonzalez, who is an Environmental Science major at SUNY Binghamton, became our first Tom Boothe Adirondack Intern this summer. During her ten weeks with AdkAction, Kim planned and built a community garden in Keeseville, organized cooking classes with our Farmacy project, conducted community outreach for Fair Food Pricing, and represented AdkAction at farmers markets and other area events.
The Tom Boothe Adirondack Internship Program was created by AdkAction to honor the legacy of past Board Chair Tom Boothe, who passed away unexpectedly one year ago in October. Tom was known for bringing friends from around the world to introduce them to the immense natural beauty of the Adirondack Park, and was particularly motivated to engage young people in the work of making a positive impact on our region’s communities.
The paid internship was designed to allow enough flexibility and time to truly experience and enjoy summer in the Adirondacks, and Kim took full advantage of the opportunity. She became a regular at local swimming holes, hiked many high peaks, and deeply connected to the local farming movement.
“After spending 10 weeks in the North Country working with AdkAction, I can say that the Tom Boothe Adirondack Internship is a dream internship experience come true. I was able to propose my own project dealing with food insecurity and implement it with the support of the entire AdkAction team, along with community stakeholders,” said Kim of the experience. “Having the opportunity to live in the Adirondacks for the summer season also allowed me to be one stop from any trailhead, water body and other scenic areas for a fun-filled adventure. I made lifelong friends in the region. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the amazing professional and individual experience that this internship afforded.”
“What made this internship experience so special was the personal project—Kim wanted to create a community garden to teach gardening skills and donate the harvest to local food pantries. It was an ambitious goal for a 10-week internship, but with her drive and dedication it was successful. The AdkAction team will ensure that the community benefits from her hard work for years to come,” said Brittany Christenson. “Tom had a really special way of believing in people and unlocking their potential—he was a great leader. We aimed to empower Kim this past summer in much the same way, to give her the tools she needed to succeed and learn how to bring her own ideas to life.”
The Tom Boothe Adirondack Internship Program has been made possible by the generosity of Tom’s friends and family, as well as support from many AdkAction members. We are committed to making this legacy internship a perpetual program at AdkAction, but that will only be possible with your support. Please consider making a donation to our Tom Boothe internship fund this fall for our Summer 2022 intern. Your donation will directly support the paid internship and give next year’s intern a chance to form a lifelong bond with the Adirondacks.
The application for next summer’s Tom Boothe Adirondack Internship will open to current college students in January 2022.
