Jenny Kordick ’10
Biology, Track and field
Director of advocacy, The Wilderness Society

College honors: NCAA postgraduate scholarship, 11x indoor and outdoor All-American, six-time national champion, CoSIDA Academic All-American (2010), USTFCCCA All-Academic (4x)

How did you balance academics and athletics as a student?

I loved being on the track and field team, although it was a significant time commitment during all seasons. Ultimately, it forced me to be as responsible and efficient as possible with my remaining time, which was a good skill to learn and still let me push myself as a student.

What did you do after college?

I moved to Washington, D.C., after I was accepted into Sierra Club’s environmental career apprenticeship program, which was designed as an intentional and inclusive pathway for young professionals to enter into the environmental nonprofit community. It was right after the BP oil spill where policy makers and environmental leaders were grappling with how to respond and ensure a disaster like that never happened again. Through that lens, I was taught the nuts and bolts of environmental advocacy – policy, media, organizing, and campaign management.

What are you doing now?

I am the advocacy director for The Wilderness Society’s energy and climate program. I manage a team that is working to reduce the climate impact of America’s public lands. If federal public lands were their own country, they would rank fifth in the world for climate emissions. I am also pursuing my MBA from Boston University.

How did being a successful student and athlete help prepare you for your next steps?

I have the same mentality now as I did at Wartburg on how to achieve goals – working backwards from the end result. If we wanted to win a national championship, what would it take to get there? Now, I think about what it would take to enact a policy change that would help protect our air, land, and water.

What was the best part of being a Knight? 

Studying abroad in the Galapagos Islands changed my life and set me on the career trajectory I am on now. I studied environmental politics and lived on the islands for three months. I now work to shape environmental policy and live on an island in Maine. Hoisting a national championship trophy above my head with my teammates was also hard to beat!