Alicia Echeveste (MS ‘25) chose the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) because the Environmental Policy and Planning (EPP) specialization was the perfect way to connect her background in international relations with a master's focused on sustainability and the environment. She has served for two years on the SEAS Student Government and was an EPP track leader.

We asked her five questions to learn more about her experience at SEAS and her plans for the future.

What is your background?

I got a BA in international relations at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City. After that, I worked in consulting for almost two years before deciding to pursue my master’s degree. I spent a year at Deloitte in their financial advisory area, but I wanted to find more purpose in my work.

Why SEAS?

I chose SEAS because of the Environmental Policy and Planning (EPP) specialization. It felt like the perfect way to connect my background in international relations with a master's focused on sustainability and the environment. SEAS gave me the flexibility to do just that. I also wanted to break into the STEM field, and pursuing an MS helped me get there. I wanted to understand the science behind climate change, not just approach it from the policy side.

What has your experience at SEAS been like?

My SEAS experience was a room full of open doors. During my first year in the program, I was the First Year International Representative in Student Government, and I got to meet great people and learn about how students can improve the SEAS experience and help out our fellow students. 

I was elected Sustainability Chair for my second year, and through that, I was offered a position as Student Representative for the University of Michigan’s Scope 3 Advisory Council. Both of those opportunities taught me so much more about sustainability and helped me get real-world experience. I was also the EPP Track Leader, which gave me the chance to meet so many great people, meet new faculty, and contribute to making the EPP experience a fun one. During my last year, I also took on an internship and balanced doing school and work. It was definitely challenging, but it was really important to me to keep gaining work experience before I graduated.

For my capstone project, I was on the Michigan the Beautiful 30x30 project, which focuses on conserving 30% of Michigan’s Great Lakes open waters and coastal areas by 2030. I want to shout out my team for all the support and work they put in. They really killed it and helped me navigate this project while I managed all the responsibilities I had taken on.

Would you recommend SEAS to incoming students?

Yes, absolutely. I worked with incredible people and faculty and always felt empowered to go after what I wanted. I was looking for a career change, and the doors were wide open throughout the entire experience. It completely changed my professional trajectory for the better.

What will you do next?

I came into this experience wanting to continue in consulting but with a focus on sustainability. I now work for 3R Sustainability, a consulting firm based in Pittsburgh. I started as a summer intern, stayed on during my last year, and began working full-time in January. I am so excited to keep growing there, and I’m incredibly thankful for the journey that brought me to a place where I love my job and find real purpose in the work I do.