Isabelle Galko – 20 Under 40

22 | Education: SMU

SMU student Isabelle Galko is already teaching others about environmental issues via her research, international conference speaking engagements, and short documentary Sunburnt Reef on how traditional sunscreens affect coral reefs in the Florida Keys.

“I lived in Australia when I was younger and had the opportunity to swim on the Great Barrier Reef when I was 10 years old. I remember seeing the beautiful and vibrant ecosystem just inches from my goggles,” Galko said.

She said learning in high school about coral bleaching, a process by which corals become white because of stressors like changes in temperature or light, inspired her future studies.

“Realizing that coral reefs and other ecosystems around the world were changing, often negatively, due to climate change is what motivated me to become involved in local conservation projects and eventually pursue environment science studies at SMU,” Galko said.

Her work has included doing research in Louisiana and interning for the city of Dallas, where she did policy research about how to increase renewable energy.

The SMU senior environmental science major and Tower Scholar (a competitive minor in public policy and international affairs) was the only student from a Texas university named a Marshall Scholar for 2022. She’ll use the two-year scholarship to further her studies on climate and policymaking at Oxford and Durham Universities in England.

Toughest business/personal challenge?

Talking about climate change can be difficult because of the psychological distance of climate change. I initially approached this by talking about facts or making it about education, when in fact, presenting people with scary facts actually just makes them feel hopeless. What I found is key was connecting with people first by talking about how climate change impacts something we both care about (for example, the winter storm Texas experienced last February, when many of us lost power and couldn’t go to work or school). When you show people that we all care about climate change because it affects our water, food, security, and health, then it can be easier to talk about solutions and empower people to be part of the solution.

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?

I was a summer camp counselor for Girl Scouts. I learned a lot about my leadership style, and it taught me organizational skills, responsibility, and confidence that I now bring to both school and work.

Where do you see yourself and/or your career 10 years from now?

Advising environmental policy for the U.S. State Department or working for an environmental non-profit. I want to work on secure and low-carbon policies that will help communities directly impacted by climate change.

Which leadership skills were the most challenging for you to develop and why?

Public speaking and communicating with big groups of people. I grew up really shy and lacked confidence in my speaking skills. I joined Girl Scouts when I was young and practiced presenting in groups. I gained confidence by putting myself in uncomfortable situations and doing preparation for times where I would have to speak in front of a lot of people.

If you could buy a book (or rent a movie) for your neighbor, what would it be and why?

Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery is a unique story about how octopuses think, solve problems, and have emotional lives. This book made me think more about my relationship with the environment and the intelligence of other beings, and was funny and warmed my heart.

What is your favorite local store?

Foxtrot is my favorite place to study, drink good coffee, and meet up with friends.

How do you motivate others?

I started my conservation journey working on local projects and spreading awareness about environmental issues I cared about. This evolved into empowering other young people to lead their own projects to address local environmental issues in their communities. Recently, I presented at the International Union for Conservation of Nature about models for female leadership in conservation and the importance of mentoring networks.

Fun fact that someone wouldn’t know about you?

While I lived in New Zealand, I explored the outdoors extensively through hikes, road trips, and skydiving. I saw my first glacier from 20,000 feet in the air!

Favorite nonprofit causes(s) and why?

Families in Nature is a conservation non-profit that started in Austin but is spreading throughout Texas. I interned with this organization and love its vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

What’s on your bucket list?

Visit all the continents (I only have Antarctica left!)

What are you most excited about for the future?

I am most excited to move to England in the fall and join the community of scholars at Oxford University for the next two years.