Jordyn Czyzewski

What is your major? Landscape and urban studies, people-environment geography, and environmental studies with a certificate in the integrative design of built and natural environments

Expected graduation: May 2026

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, or “the Domes,” was where I first found wonder in exploring the natural world through learning about the complexities of ecosystems. In high school, I took an environmental systems and societies class that opened my eyes to the intertwined relationship between people and the environment.

As I grew older, I started to recognize the deeper environmental challenges that affected my family — like living next to a busy freeway and seeing both of my siblings struggle with asthma, heat waves closing our schools due to a lack of air conditioning, and learning about asbestos in my mom’s school and black mold in my great-grandma’s basement. These experiences made me realize how much our physical environment impacts our health and well-being.

Growing up in Milwaukee, I also witnessed how environmental injustices and environmental racism deeply affected people’s quality of life. This fueled my passion for advocating for equitable, place-based solutions. At UW-Madison, working on a co-design project with a local school as part of a mindfulness and restorative environments course furthered my understanding of how essential it is to create spaces that reflect the needs of the people who use them through meaningful partnerships.

Ultimately, I want to combine design, advocacy, and community engagement to address environmental challenges through urban planning initiatives. By implementing place- and people-based solutions, I hope to contribute to the well-being of both humans and the environment, by building connections between people, communities, and the places they inhabit.