Meet Great Rivers’ 2022 Interns


Matthew Boyd – Outreach and Development Intern, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022

Matthew is a sophomore at Washington University in St Louis pursuing a double major in Environmental Policy and Sociology. Matthew’s passion for the environment and social justice lead him to Great Rivers where he hopes to help make a difference in his hometown and after Great Rivers he would like to do the same in more places. In his free time, Matthew primarily enjoys sports, writing and listening to music (check out the DJs at KWUR 90.3 FM!).


Rachel Deubner – Legal Intern, Summer 2022

Rachel graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2021 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Minors in Chemistry, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Political Science. In the fall she will be entering into her second year of law school at Saint Louis University. Before law school she spent her summers working at the Saint Louis Zoo which lead an appreciation of the environment and a desire to pursue a career in environmental law. In her free time she enjoys going for hikes and taking care of her many house plants. 


Tori Harwell – Goldman Fellow, Summer 2022

Tori is a junior at Washington University in St Louis pursuing a double major in Environmental Studies, and African and African American Studies. Tori is devoted to serving their community. She previously worked at Denver Public Health as a youth violence prevention advocate and Kilmer Lane and Newman Firm as an intern focusing on criminal justice reform. They cannot wait to continue this work from an environmental justice lens. In her free time, Tori likes to hike, garden, travel all around the world, and go to farmers’ markets where they are always searching for mismatching pottery bowls.


Molly Hopkins – Legal Intern, Summer 2022

Molly is a rising 3L at American University Washington College of Law.  She is originally from Milwaukee, WI and got her BA in French and Francophone Studies from Lawrence University.  Before law school, Molly worked various jobs ranging from a nanny, to a bank teller, to an equine veterinary assistant.  She hopes to continue in the public interest and environmental law fields after graduating from law school.  In her free time, Molly enjoys swimming, sewing, admiring her houseplants, hanging out with her bunnies and her horse, and spending time outdoors.


Emily Komie – Legal Intern, Summer 2022

Emily is a rising 2L at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Hailing from Chicago, she graduated from Colorado College where she studied Environmental Science and Filmmaking. Emily hopes to use her law degree to advance the principles of environmental justice, particularly in connection with public health issues. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and thrifting. Emily is excited to support Great Rivers’ amazing work, and learn more about environmental law in the Midwest.


Cooper Mittelhauser – Legal Intern, Summer 2022

Cooper is a Missouri native and rising 2L at the University of Oregon, where he is an ENR Fellow with the Oceans, Coasts, and Watersheds Project and Moot Court Board Member. Before law school, Cooper spent a decade working in the outdoor industry. After several seasons of work as a guide in National Parks, he left the outdoor industry to pursue a legal education. Countless boat trips and fly-fishing excursions in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains inform Cooper’s desire to use his legal education to protect natural resources and promote access to clean water. In his free time, Cooper enjoys cycling and fly-fishing, but any other outdoor activity will do—bonus points if it involves a river.


Joe Oswald – Legal Intern, Spring 2022

Joe is a second-year student at Washington University School of Law. He grew up in Wausau, Wisconsin near a lake that was only swimmable thanks to the Clean Water Act. Before law school, Joe spent six years working in education, three in southern Austria and three in Minneapolis. He hopes to use his law degree to help preserve the Midwest’s incredible water resources. In his free-time, Joe enjoys hiking, bikepacking, birding (rather unsuccessfully), and watching the Milwaukee Bucks.


Alden Standley – Outreach and Development Intern, Spring 2022

Alden is a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis where she is pursuing a B.A. in Global Health and Environment. Originally from San Francisco, California, Alden has always loved spending time outdoors – which, in recent years, has led her to be increasingly interested in environmental protection and policy. Outside of work, Alden loves playing volleyball, listening to music, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.


Sirapan To-in – Legal and Outreach and Development Intern, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022

Sirapan worked in the field of combating human trafficking and IUU in the seafood supply chain in Thailand prior to coming to the U.S. and worked at the University’s Interdisciplinary Environmental Law Clinic during his study at WashULaw. When he’s not working with Great Rivers, Sirapan also works as a farm justice intern at the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Sirapan enjoys creating designs, infographics, and posters for educational purposes. In his free time, Sirapan can be found going on bike rides and camping trips.


Jimmy Yuen – Legal Intern, Spring 2022

Jimmy is a 2L student at WashULaw. He grew in Las Vegas, NV where the megadrought and other environmental issues in the desert city inspired his interest in sustainability. Jimmy graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Global Studies and a deeper appreciation for the outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his cats.

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