Jalynn Horacek

What is your major? Environmental engineering

Expected graduation: May 2026

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? My interest in the environment stems from my upbringing. I am from a very rural area and have always appreciated the fact that I got to grow up in nature. I loved swimming in the local lakes and catching fireflies in the summer. You’ll never see brighter stars than in my backyard.

However, even in the middle of nowhere, I still heard news about how our local farmers were polluting our rivers and the controversy over wolf hunts. I never realized how threatened our ecosystems were and how delicate the balance of nature is. That’s why I went into environmental engineering: to solve problems and maintain the balance of nature as best we can.