Student Interns

Student Clinical Herbalist Interns

Our next cohort will start seeing clients in late February, 2026. To schedule with a specific intern, contact them directly via the email provided with their bio, below. If you would like help selecting an intern, please email info@vtherbcenter.org and we’ll be glad to assist you.

More intern bios to be added in February!

Rune Esch

Rune putters around the outskirts of Brattleboro, VT with their dog, feeling more grounded here with each step spent seeking reciprocity in the woods. Their taste for herbal medicine grew in an unruly chamomile patch at a neighborhood farm in West Philadelphia, a curiosity gently tended by plant and human mentors alike. They are now learning to foster herbal community care and food sovereignty in this rural landscape on Abenaki land. Rune is especially excited to be present for queer and trans clients, folks in resistance work dealing with burnout, and anyone eager to build relationships with plants.

contact: RuneE@vtherbcenter.org

Tanvi Koushik

When not in clinic, you’re most likely to find Tanvi mucking out a cow barn, digging up medicinal roots or standing barefoot and mouth-agape in an open field. She is devoted to growing, tending and sharing the harvests of the earth, and the capacious principle of food as medicine. Tanvi is particularly interested in working with people navigating autoimmune conditions, diabetes, chronic pain, PMS, menopause, overwrought nervous systems and burnout, and is committed to supporting free access to herbal medicine and healthcare for all people.

contact: TanviK@vtherbcenter.org

Celeste Johnson

Celeste’s upbringing and first connection to plant kin took place in the southeast, one of the most botanically diverse regions of Turtle Island. Shaped by an ongoing quest to be close to our natural world, they have continuously been guided by plant magic. An innate desire to learn how to care for community and loved ones brought them down the path to herbalism. Celeste strives to work from a harm reductionist standpoint, to meet people where they are, and to prioritize accessibility and sustainability. Areas of focus include nervous system repair, digestive health, chronic pain, sleep, and immunity.

contact: CelesteJ@vtherbcenter.org

Eliza Rose Laubach

Eliza Rose began studying herbalism in 2014, when they landed on a ginseng and goldenseal nursery in the Tsa’la’guwetiyi (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) territory aka Western North Carolina. From folk herbalism to herbal first aid clinics at gatherings, and most recently in disaster response after Hurricane Helene, they are passionate about weaving together integrative, holistic community care with the vital resilience of nature, fostering thriving aliveness. Her practice is rooted in studies on decolonization, nature connection, healing justice, mutual aid, grief and trauma. She is interested in working with the mind/heart/body connection and addressing root causes for complex health conditions.

contact: ElizaL@vtherbcenter.org

Sam LaVoi

Growing up in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, Sam developed a deep connection to the natural world that shapes her work today. Her journey with plants began while navigating mysterious health challenges, where she fell in love with the multidimensional healing potential of the plant world. Sam believes that plants can help us come home—home to the full extent of ourselves as an embodied part of life. She is especially interested in the interconnected physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of health and wellbeing and is excited to support people working toward a wide range of health goals.

contact: SamanthaL@vtherbcenter.org

Matteo Marano

Matteo fell in love with plants in the hills of Pittsburgh and hollers of Virginia. His dedication to the study of herbalism comes from the belief that herbal medicine should be accessible to all. He strives to meet people where they’re at, hear about their unique experiences, and collaborate on an individualized, supportive protocol in which root causes are addressed. Matteo feels especially excited to work with trans people and those experiencing digestive difficulties, emotional distress, chronic illness, and grief–though he is eagerly available for all clients and concerns.

contact: MatteoM@vtherbcenter.org

Maggie O’Hara

Maggie is a careworker currently living on unceded Ohlone land in Berkeley, CA. She was inspired to study herbalism after developing a chronic illness in her early-20s and quickly fell in love with the practice of getting to know plants, place, people, and self through herbs. Maggie values each individual’s unique experiences and strives to work collaboratively with her clients to best support them through life transitions, chronic illness, grief, and burnout. In her free time, Maggie enjoys going for slow walks in the woods, reading, gabbing with friends, sitting next to the ocean, and creating bad art.

contact: MaggieO@vtherbcenter.org

Kristen Rose

Kristen’s approach to wellness is to be proactive in maintaining health in all aspects of life–mental, physical, environmental, emotional, and spiritual. Natural medicine can be in the form of herbs, but also in experiencing the outdoors, meditating, praying, creating art, helping, loving, dancing, singing and playing. Helping people look at health through these lenses, and supporting them as they try new things, is very fulfilling. Everything Kristen likes to do for work and fun involves being in nature. For fun, she likes gardening, yoga, hiking, biking, swimming, climbing, and hanging out with her daughter and the dog.

contact: KristenR@vtherbcenter.org

Leo Saraceno

Living and working on the Long Trail as a young adult cemented Leo’s curiosity and awe of ecology. Leo currently practices as a certified massage therapist, mainly working with veterans, and is also trained as a wilderness first responder. While excited to work with people experiencing a variety of conditions, he is especially suited to support people experiencing chronic pain, digestive difficulties, and emotional distress.

contact: LeoS@vtherbcenter.org

Abbi Stern

Abbi was raised on unceded Abenaki territory in Vermont, where she found refuge in the surrounding woods. After many years living in NYC, she longed to regain her connection to that land, eventually moving back to Vermont. The desire to reconnect and a love of foraging led her down the path to herbalism. Her work centers on the knowledge plants offer our physical and emotional bodies and the relationship between the two. She looks forward to working with a diverse range of clients and conditions, particularly those seeking support for general health and wellbeing, with a focus on prevention and managing chronic conditions.

contact: AbbiS@vtherbcenter.org

Gabe Stonoha

Gabe is interested in how we can ally ourselves with plants as we build a better world. He has been studying herbs and caring for human bodies since 2018, working in the lineages of street medicine and bioregional folk herbalism. His practice is neurodivergent-affirming, rooted in animism, Healing Justice, and Health at Every Size. He is especially interested in perinatal care and the intersection between gut health and mental health. When not in clinic, you might find Gabe tending goats, experimenting in the kitchen, or doing a Wikipedia deep-dive. He lives in the forest on Nooksack territory, in the PNW.

contact: GabeS@vtherbcenter.org

Ashley Van Riper

Ashley is interested in how building relationships with plants can both support people in their personal healing and shift the ways they relate to the world around them. She is excited to get to matchmake between plants and people, and seeks to listen deeply, witness people in their complexity, and support people in defining health for themselves. She is committed to supporting free access to healthcare for all people, and in using herbalism as a tool for liberation. Focus areas include chronic pain, insomnia, digestion, immunity, nervous system health, and endocrine issues. She currently lives on unceded Lenape land in Philadelphia, PA.

contact: AshleyV@vtherbcenter.org

Sami Zimmerman

Sami grew up wading in creeks and roaming the woods of a small town on Ho-Chunk land, of what is now referred to as Cross Plains, Wisconsin. They currently work on a regenerative farm near their hometown, growing medicinal and native plants. They’re excited to support clients with a wide-range of ecologies, and are especially interested in addressing the systemic patterns that manifest in acute and chronic conditions. When they’re apart from the plants, they might be making a wedding cake, line dancing, or writing a poem.

contact: SamiZ@vtherbcenter.org