Protecting the Planet

Andrea Payre Madrigal ’25 sees the whole planet as her home. 

Having grown up in six countries, including Singapore, China, South Africa, Mexico and France, the senior entrepreneurship, marketing and environmental studies major never felt particularly attached to any one place, so when she first learned about climate change in high school, she felt like her entire home was being threatened. 

“I feel very protective of the planet and very protective of the different cultures I know, the different places that have taken me in, the different places that have raised me,” she said. 

Initially overwhelmed by the magnitude of climate change, Andrea found empowerment through her environmental studies and involvement at LMU. Her work on campus, particularly through ASLMU as VP of Sustainability and at Wellness Wednesdays, involves engaging with students to raise awareness and inspire action on sustainability issues.

“Everybody should be an environmental advocate because the environment is all around us. We live within it,” she said. “It surrounds our lives. It’s part of everything we do.” 

As part of her role with ASLMU, Payre Madrigal created a Sustainability Committee focused on three pillars: plastics reduction, events and outreach, and sustainability skills and behavior. The committee works on various projects, including promoting reusable containers, finding plastic-free alternatives, and organizing events like rewilding and recycling facility tours. She credits LMU with empowering her to tackle sustainability issues, emphasizing the university’s focus on service and justice, which closely aligns with her values and has provided her with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful work. 

“LMU has really emboldened me to take this issue head on,” she said. “As I’ve taken more and more classes at LMU, I’ve discovered more ways to have an impact, not just within L.A., but within California, the U.S. and the world. I’ve seen lots of students and faculty have an impact here. I realized I’m not trapped, but I can do something about it.”