Getting Clean Water to NYC? All in a Summer’s Worth of Work

The 8 million residents of New York City rarely have to think about accessing clean, safe drinking water from the comfort of their homes. They simply turn on their taps and it is there. Behind the scenes, though, a team of scientists from the New York State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is methodically monitoring, sampling and testing that water, making something that is essential for human life startlingly easy to take for granted. It is incredibly important, often unheralded work, and this summer Hanna Oestrich ’24 found herself right in the thick of it.

An environmental science systems major with minors in environmental studies and biology, Oestrich spent two months working as an intern for the DEP. It was a natural fit for the Bethel, N.Y., native. She has always been fascinated by science and drawn to solve problems, particularly those that are environmental in nature. The perseveration of the planet and its resources is not merely an idle curiosity for her. It is “the most important issue facing her generation,” as scientists around the world work to reach a goal established by the Intergovernmental Planet on Climate Change to limit global warming to 2° C.

While she was working for the DEP, Oestrich divided her time between the field and the lab. The former allowed her to see firsthand what it was that she her colleagues were seeking to protect. Oestrich took note of the conditions at four reservoirs in the Catskills region to which her team was assigned, gathering first-response data that is critical to the DEP’s modeling and monitoring groups, and analyzing the health of the watershed overall. The latter allowed her to shadow the DEP’s analysts and to learn how they performed their jobs. She also assisted them by making sure that the lab was clean and the equipment had been properly calibrated, and by helping to prepare the reagents that were used in various experiments. In addition, Oestrich earned several certifications and learned about different laboratory management systems, all of which she will carry with her in her future work.

More than anything else, though, Oestrich’s work at the DEP reinforced for how much she loves environmental science, training her brain to approach challenges in new ways, and learning to see things from multiple and sometimes disparate points of view. Her advice to other students who are in the midst of, or preparing to begin, their own internships, is simple: Make the most of every moment. Get to know the people around you, ask them questions about their work and say “yes” to opportunities to learn about something new. That is what she strove to do, and it is what made her experience so valuable.

“I know that in the future I want to focus my professional energies on caring for the environment and ensuring that we all have a safe place to live,” she says. “I feel like this was a good stepping stone toward that goal, and I am so glad that I had this opportunity.”

This internship was supported through the College’s Iginite Fellowship, which provides financial support to students interested in undertaking internship and research experiences that may have costs associated with them. The fellowship student to pursue their personal professional goals without undue financial burden. . 

This story is part of a series focused on Le Moyne students who have recently completed dynamic internships. It reflects the College’s commitment to providing our students with as many opportunities as possible to put the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to work, to explore possible career paths, and to build strong professional networks. For more information about internship opportunities, contact the Office of Career Advising and Development.