Emilie spent much of her childhood exploring the forest and creek near her home in New York. This time outdoors sparked her interest in protecting the environment, inspiring her to pursue a degree in Conservation Biology from St. Lawrence University. Following graduation in 2013, Emilie moved to Germantown and got involved with Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership as an intern in the hopes of positively impacting her community. She also completed a year of service with MassLIFT-AmeriCorps (now TerraCorps) as a Land Stewardship Coordinator at Wildlands Trust in Plymouth, Massachusetts.