Opportunities in Madison, Wisconsin by Kylee

Opportunities in Madison, Wisconsin by Kylee - August 2025 Scholarship Essay

There is a uniqueness about the city of Madison that differentiates it from any other in the country. Traveling around Lake Mendota or Lake Monona and looking into the center of town, there is one particular building that peaks above the rest. Established in 1966, the Capitol View Preservation Ordinance ensured that the Wisconsin State Capitol would remain the tallest building in Madison. Covered in beautiful white marble and topped with a gilded bronze statue, the Capitol building stands tall as a symbol of justice, progress and opportunity.

Two years ago, I attended Conservation Lobby Day hosted by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. The event took place directly at the foot of the Capitol, on the Square. Although I had a longstanding appreciation for conservation and sustainability, at the time I was fairly new to climate activism. I was anxiously excited to see the opportunities such an event would present me. Stepping inside there were dozens of organizations in attendance and participants from nearly every district. It opened with a long speech presented by Governor Tony Evers. Then, groups broke off and were given chances to communicate with their district senators and representatives. Standing before Dianne Hesslebein and Alex Joers, I expressed a desire for a sustainable future. I felt an overwhelming sense of community as the powerful decision-makers of my hometown listened intently and asked friendly questions regarding my nonprofit work. I felt valued and understood. More importantly, I felt energized and optimistic about the future of our state. From that moment on, my interest in politics heightened. Walking through the Capitol after the event, everything felt increasingly humanized. Politicians were not inhuman like the media likes to argue; they are people. People interested in representing and looking after their constituents. I continued to seek opportunities to further my involvement in environmental activism, determined to close the gap between policy and community action. It’s a reminder that we are significant, passionate individuals who can drive meaningful change.

Returning home, I reflected on the opportunities that had been granted to me. I thought of members of my highschool sustainability club. These were individuals I wanted to provide an avenue to get involved in the community. I wanted them to be able to find their passions just like I had. Living near Lake Mendota, I was greatly aware of the cleaning projects with high numbers of UW-Madison student leaders including the Yahara CLEAN Plan, Renew the Blue, and the Lake Cleanup Team. This was the community I wanted to learn more about. I reached out to Nathan D. Schulfer, Director of International & Professional MS Programs at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and asked if my club could meet with him and learn more about the opportunities UW-Madison had to offer. I had never contacted a college faculty member before, so I emailed him several months in advance predicting it would take a while for a reply. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a response after only three days. Additionally, he immediately connected me with three of his colleagues: Emily Reynolds, Christopher Kilgour, and Rob Beattie who would attend the meeting. We quickly organized a field trip, and I brought members of our club to Science Hall. After brief introductions, we took a hike to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to further discuss environmental studies.

Professor Beattie phrased the program most intriguingly. I learned that environmental studies is a dual major program that could be connected with any other major offered at UW-Madison. I could see the interest of my peers peaking. We heard of students combining business or music theory with environmental studies. I caught myself looking back at the ivory Capitol. I knew then that this is what I wanted to pursue, not solely this academic year, but the rest of my academic career. Environmental studies was the perfect blend of politics, justice and sustainability, and that opportunity was just across the water.