Emerging Professionals

Emily is a rising 2L at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. After moving from Connecticut, she graduated from Colorado College in 2020 with a degree in Environmental Policy. Emily spent 5 years working on Breckenridge Ski Patrol before going back to school with an interest in environmental, water, natural resources, and land use law. Working in a rural environment with unparalleled outdoor access has made her passionate about being mindful of how we interact with the space and the community. Her work with EVLT this summer focused on tax and potential compliance issues to help EVLT grow and continue contributing to the community. EVLT’s mission aligns with many of her personal and professional values, and she looks forward to staying connected with them after the summer wraps up!

Sadie is a rising 2L at the University of Colorado Law School. During the summer of 2026, Sadie assisted EVLT with addressing complex nonprofit tax inquiries and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance questions. She is committed to supporting clients through creation, preservation, and accessibility of equitable community resources. Sadie looks forward to using her legal education and experience to advance these goals. The opportunity to support EVLT's crucial work has been one of her law school highlights.

Sophie interned with EVLT as an undergrad student from the CU Boulder Environmental Studies Program. She assisted with writing a greenhouse RFP, going on monitoring visits to evaluate the health and use of protected lands, amending conservation easements, and adding new members or events to EVLT's website.

Jose is a current graduate Student at CSU’s Masters in Conservation Leadership program, studying and researching ethnobotany at Sweetwater Lake as his capstone project. 

Nat collaborated with EVLT in 2024 as a graduate student at CSU under their Masters of Conservation Leadership program. Nat and her fellow graduate student Zak Kaletsch completed their capstone project for their program, which centered around constructing a framework for EVLT to engage with Indigenous communities in a meaningful, ethical, and impactful way. They conducted their research and built this framework in the context of the Ute Nation and their deep-rooted, historical connections to the property of Sweetwater Lake. Zak and Nat ultimately provided EVLT with resources, guided questions, and recommended actions to form meaningful relationships with nearby Sovereign Nations to promote Indigenous engagement and better conduct our work of land conservation and stewardship.

Zak collaborated with EVLT in 2024 as a graduate student at CSU under their Masters of Conservation Leadership program. Zak, along with fellow graduate student Nat Crocker, completed their program’s capstone project, which centered around constructing a framework for EVLT to engage with Indigenous communities in a meaningful, ethical, and impactful way. They conducted their research and built this framework in the context of the Ute Nation and their deep-rooted, historical connections to the property of Sweetwater Lake. Zak and Nat ultimately provided EVLT with resources, guided questions, and recommended actions to form meaningful relationships with nearby Sovereign Nations to promote Indigenous engagement and better conduct our work of land conservation and stewardship.

Gillian assisted EVLT in 2022 as a graduate student from Colorado State University’s Masters of Conservation Leadership program. Her capstone project, completed along with Gillian Watson, centered around equitable outdoor programming and public land access in Eagle County, particularly in the context of the Hispanic community and the property of Sweetwater Lake. They collected information regarding outdoor recreation preferences and values to then identify possible barriers to equitable access to public land. Recognition of these limitations helped them develop considerations and opportunities for future conservation work that EVLT could incorporate to reasonably allocate funds and promote community-centered conservation.

Rachael worked with EVLT in 2022 as a graduate student from Colorado State University’s Masters of Conservation Leadership program. Her capstone project, completed along with Gillian Watson, centered around equitable outdoor programming and public land access in Eagle County particularly in the context of the Hispanic community and the property of Sweetwater Lake. They collected information regarding outdoor recreation preferences and values to then identify possible barriers to equitable access to public land. With recognizing these limitations, they developed considerations and opportunities for future conservation work that EVLT could incorporate in order to wisely allocate funds and promote community-centered conservation. 

Brooke is an undergraduate student at Hamilton College studying Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies and worked as an intern at EVLT for the summer and winter 2025.

During the summer of 2025, Julyana supported the Eagle Valley Land Trust’s orphaned easement project by analyzing visual records and identifying significant changes to conserved properties over time. By comparing historical and current data, she helped flag inconsistencies that may affect long-term oversight. The goal of this work was to support compliance with the terms of each easement and contribute to the strength and reliability of EVLT’s stewardship program. Julyana is a rising second-year student at the University of Oklahoma College of Law with strong interests in real estate, property, and immigration law. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career that combines legal strategy with meaningful, place-based work.

Olivia helped EVLT with the orphaned easements project which is a coordinated effort with other land trusts across the state to get conservation easements into compliance that were made fraudulently or abandoned by their assigned land trust. The goal of the work is to help improve the image of conservation easements, so prospective donors know that they are leaving their land in the hands of land trusts that will care for and respect the land. Olivia is a rising second year at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Her focus right now is on property law, specifically intellectual property. She has a passion for the outdoors and believes that sustainability practices and conservation efforts should be at the forefront of emerging technologies.