Photo caption: From left, Blugold alumni Wyatt Pajtash, Helue Vazquez Valverde and Lily Strehlow talk with Dr. Eric Jamelske, professor economics, at a panel discussion on sustainability jobs.
Three Blugold alumni share a passion for sustainability along with degrees in economics and a love for their alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. While they are following very different career paths, all three graduates are thrilled that their jobs allow them to focus on sustainability.
![Lily Strehlow](https://publicwebuploads.uwec.edu/images/21172-20230420-ECON-Sustainability-10-three-four-portrait.jpg)
Lily Strehlow
Lily Strehlow ’20
As a student, Lily Strehlow was a leader in several sustainability-related research projects and related initiatives. Three years after she graduated, the Blugold — now UW-Eau Claire’s sustainability specialist — is helping to bring some of those projects to life. Read Lily Strehlow’s story.
![Helue Vazquez Valverde](https://publicwebuploads.uwec.edu/images/21171-20230420-ECON-Sustainability-01-three-four-portrait.jpg)
Helue Vazquez Valverde
Helue Vazquez Valverde ’16
Helue Vazquez Valverde remembers worrying about climate change as a young girl growing up in Mexico, but she never imagined it would someday shape her career. She’s now a manager in a corporation’s climate change and sustainability practice, where she supports corporations as they establish and execute their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies. Read Helue Vazquez Valverde’s story.
![Wyatt Pajtash](https://publicwebuploads.uwec.edu/images/21170-20230420-ECON-Sustainability-13-three-four-portrait.jpg)
Wyatt Pajtash
Wyatt Pajtash ’20
While Wyatt Pajtash became interested in sustainability while studying at UW-Eau Claire, he wasn’t actively looking for it to be part of his future career. Now Pajtash is happy to be contributing to sustainability-related projects as the geographic information systems (GIS) coordinator for the Ho-Chunk Nation. Read Wyatt Pajtash’s story.