Hometown
Greenfield, WI
Undergraduate education
Bachelor’s degree, environmental studies and legal studies, certificate in public policy, May 2021
Professional/research interests
Environmental and agricultural policy
Graduate degree earned
Evan graduated in 2022 with a Master of Public Affairs.
Why an MPA?
After completing an undergraduate internship at the Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, I found that I am incredibly passionate about public service. This realization caused me to pursue the La Follette School’s Undergraduate Certificate in Public Policy, where I was exposed to a breadth of contemporary policy issues – many of which pose serious challenges to members of my community. I decided to pursue an MPA with the hope of addressing these policy issues, particularly those related to environmental and agricultural policy.
Why the La Follette School?
I was initially drawn to the La Follette School by the Accelerated MPA Program, which allows me to complete my MPA degree requirements with only one additional year of graduate studies. After being accepted to the Accelerated Program, I met with the incredibly kind and accommodating faculty at the La Follette School and was blown away by the tightly knit academic community they have cultivated.
Career goals
After graduating from the La Follette School, I hope to attend law school with the overall goal of becoming an environmental attorney.
Internship
I have served as gubernatorial appointments assistant at the Office of Governor Tony Evers for just over a year and plan to continue in this position through the summer. In this role, I support the appointments director in selecting applicants to serve on more than 200 state boards and commissions. Throughout my tenure, I have assisted with the formation of several new statewide task forces to address contemporary policy issues in Wisconsin, including the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, and the Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt.
Advice for prospective La Follette School students
In my experience, the best way to make the most out of your La Follette School experience is by reaching out to students within your cohort. I was lucky to join a study group with several other accelerated students and this has been immensely beneficial to me both academically and socially.
Volunteer activities
I first became involved with volunteer activities through the Morgridge Center for Public Service during the sophomore year of my undergraduate studies at UW–Madison. I have worked as a volunteer algebra and geometry tutor at Madison West High School for two years through Achievement Connections—a program that pairs UW–Madison student tutors with high schoolers in the Madison area.
People would be surprised if they knew that I …
… have worked at several power plants throughout southeast Wisconsin. I worked for We Energies during summer and winter breaks throughout my undergraduate studies and loved every minute of it. The best part of this job—by far—was getting to drive a forklift.