Freshwater welcomed two interns, Georgia Akins and Ben Arnold, in fall 2025, who contributed to several key projects across the organization. Georgia worked on updates to the Minnesota Water Stewards Program, developed a StoryMap highlighting water quality and environmental equity in the Twin Cities, and supported PFAS education initiatives. Ben contributed to Freshwater's Rural Health and Drinking Water project by creating GIS-based maps and tools to support well-testing outreach and connect well owners with water service providers.
From water quality research to community outreach and mapping tools, both interns brought unique skills and perspectives to Freshwater. Learn more about Georgia and Ben below.
Georgia Akins graduated from Macalester College in 2026 where she majored in Environmental Studies and minored in Biology and Statistics. As a student researcher at the Bratt Aquatic Ecology Lab and a participant in a Sea Education Association study-abroad program in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Georgia gained valuable research experience. These opportunities supported her senior honors thesis in Macalester's Environmental Studies Department, which investigated relationships between contemporary algal communities and historical environmental disinvestment in the Twin Cities.
Ben Arnold graduated from Macalester College recently where he majored in Geography and Environmental Studies. Ben is passionate in utilizing spatial and statistical methodologies to better understand the ways that our physical and social environments contribute to negative health outcomes. Beginning fall of 2026, Ben will begin his Master's in Geography at the University of Iowa.
Read what our interns have to say about their Freshwater experiences.
What projects or work have you been involved with during your internship at Freshwater?
Georgia: I first began working with Freshwater during my senior year of college as part of my Environmental Studies capstone at Macalester. I initially worked to help revamp the Minnesota Water Stewards Program, offering a student perspective and scientific expertise on the program’s curriculum. At the same time, I also worked with the Programs Department to transform results and information from my research with the Bratt Aquatic Ecology Lab at Macalester into a public, interactive website. This resource is now available as a StoryMap site that allows users to learn more about how historical disparities in environmental disinvestment affect contemporary water quality across the Twin Cities. Since this site’s publication, I have been contributing to a larger project surrounding PFAS mitigation and education in Minnesota. As part of this project, I developed an action step for Freshwater’s Minnesota Water Stewards Program, which provides participants with accessible but impactful solutions for mitigating PFAS exposure in their water sources.
Ben: I have been interning at Freshwater since September 2025, working on their Rural Health and Drinking Water project. Using GIS with well and census data, I have created maps and datasets to inform our well testing outreach. Additionally, I have been creating static and interactive maps visualizing the distribution of arsenic across our 8-county project area. Lastly, I am working on a web app to help connect well owners with a water service provider.
What lessons have you learned from your internship, and how would you describe your experience working at Freshwater?
Georgia: Working with Freshwater has been the experience of a lifetime! I have learned so much about the work that goes into getting people involved with environmental issues, and the most effective ways to do so. In particular, this internship helped me to strengthen my scientific communication skills, especially in transforming dense scientific materials into usable and easy to understand resources for the public. These skills largely came out of the incredibly intimate and supportive environment that Freshwater possesses. Ever since I began working as an intern, I have felt heard and comfortable with making mistakes as I built my professional career. Everyone I worked with instantly made me feel welcome and was more than happy to offer their support or listen to my ideas. Being able to build a close relationship with my supervisor and other employees at Freshwater truly made me feel like I was part of the larger team, and not just an overlooked intern. I can confidently say that my internship with Freshwater was one of the highlights of my senior year—it was truly special.
Ben: This project has given me the opportunity to work with a cross-disciplinary team across several organizations, all working towards the same ambitious goals. Through this experience, I have learned how to collaborate with experienced professionals and share my unique perspectives on our project. Learning to synthesize information into a product that is as understandable as possible has been challenging, but also has given me the opportunity to explore new tools, like interactive web maps. To maximize the impact of our work, web maps can facilitate outreach, education, and finding arsenic treatment. Working on a project with important, tangible effects on my home state has been incredibly rewarding, and I'm excited to see it continue.
We're grateful for Georgia's and Ben's contributions over the past year and wish them continued success in their next endeavors. Freshwater is always excited to create opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, explore their interests, and make meaningful contributions to our mission. To stay informed about future internships, programs, and opportunities at Freshwater, be sure to follow us on social media and check our website regularly.