At Summer Internship, Stern College Junior Works to Preserve Thoreau’s Dreams “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” This was one of the key philosophies of the American 19th-century poet Henry David Thoreau, a leading transcendentalist—but it could also describe Stern College for Women junior Miriam Renz’s pursuit of a unique summer internship experience that would mesh her love of literature and American studies with her passion for environmental awareness. Renz found it as an educational intern at the Walden Woods Project, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the land, literature, and legacy of Thoreau through conservation, education, research and advocacy.

Miriam Renz at Brister's Hill in the Walden Woods.

Below, Renz shares some of her favorite experiences at the WWP (and back at home in her beloved English department at Stern) with us. What’s an example of the kind of work you did at WWP? The biggest project I worked on was the preparation for the WWP's annual professional development program for high school teachers. It's a six-day seminar during which the teachers participate in activities and classes that revolve around the ideologies and literary contributions of Henry David Thoreau. I helped plan the logistics, review the participant files, prepare all hand-outs, and so on. After the seminar ended, I reviewed the curricula each teacher submitted to receive credit for it, which kept the learning process going for me. What was your favorite moment on the job? It's difficult to pick just one; this summer has exceeded any expectations I had coming into it. One moment, though, that is memorable was on the last day of our seminar, during the closing session. We, the staff, sat in a circle with the participants, and each of us (staff and teachers) read their favorite Thoreau quotes and explained why they chose that quotation. It transformed into an extremely emotional, tear-filled activity for many of us, myself included. It was apparent that within this one week, we had all changed for the better, challenging each other and ourselves to grow as educators, students and humans. It was really beautiful to see how much good there was in that room. My boss at the Walden Woods Project, Director of the Education Department Whitney Retallic, became another important role model for me, both professionally and personally. She, along with the entire staff of WWP, have welcomed and encouraged me to flourish this summer, and I am very grateful. You’re an English literature major and American studies minor. Where are you hoping your career will take you? After I graduate from Stern, I want to do something that matters to both myself and the world in some way. I am uncertain at this point what that vague image will become, but I know that I want to travel to New Orleans, San Francisco, and Vermont to do community service programming. Whether this happens before or after graduate school, I don’t know. Aside from this somewhat wild aspiration, I hope to pursue a master's degree in macro-social work, creative writing or journalism. As you can see, I have many dreams and I have yet to arrive at any conclusive realization.

Miriam with the seminar group she helped organize.

How did your classes and mentors at Stern help you along that path? As I spend much of my time in the English department, I must give credit to Dr. Joy Ladin and Dr. Ann Peters. These two outstanding professors have challenged me to challenge myself as an academic and a female aspiring to be the best version of myself. Both Dr. Ladin and Dr. Peters have assigned very influential readings in their classes, as well as given me personal guidance and warmth to create an environment of warmth and trust within their offices and classrooms. What’s your favorite Thoreau quote, and why? It's from Thoreau's essay "Walking," which I think is his best piece of writing by far. The quote is the following: "I believe in the forest, and in the meadow, and in the night in which the corn grows.” I too believe in these natural things. They are as alive to me as a person I could speak to. The risky (and therefore brave) act of believing is something I constantly struggle with as a Jew, and knowing that I can connect to my roots by connecting to the roots of the living plants around me is the most comforting realization.