Study abroad trip sparked switch in majors
A professor’s advice and the “Black Panther” movie also influenced Krystal Lacayo’s interest in environmental justice.
A professor’s two words of encouragement helped December graduate Krystal Lacayo decide on an academic major that may lead to a career solving entwined issues of environment and society.
Lacayo was taking an elective course under Greg Gangi, a teaching professor in Carolina’s environmental, ecology and energy program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The class had kindled a passion in Lacayo for understanding and solving environmental challenges. As a result, she wondered if she should combine her newfound passion with a study abroad trip.
She asked Gangi. He responded emphatically: “Yes. Go.” That guidance helped launch a journey that would take Lacayo to three countries and shape her commitment to environmental and social justice.
That first study abroad experience was in Cape Town, South Africa, where Lacayo interned with the Development Action Group. She learned about post-apartheid community development and the realities of informal settlements, areas where people live in housing that is illegal, unregulated or not protected by the government. “Working in the informal settlement was emotional, but it impacted me in ways I can’t explain,” she said. The experience solidified her dedication to understanding how culture, land and resources connect.
She returned from the trip, changed majors to environmental studies with a sustainability concentration and added a minor in urban planning.
Looking back on what sparked her interest in environmental and societal issues, Lacayo remembers the movie “Black Panther.” As a ninth grader at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina, she watched the movie “not for the plot, but because of the graphics that showed how people lived. I wanted to build a world like that.”
Once she arrived at Carolina, she took on roles in community organizing, research and campus organizations.
Under her direction, the NAACP campus chapter’s environmental and climate justice committee organized key events. They designed an environmental justice seminar and simulation to educate students on environmental justice issues influencing marginalized communities. An “Expanding the Black Community” seminar examined the relationship between Carolina and local Black communities. The event brought together students, community members and panelists to discuss issues like gentrification, affordable housing and land use.
She also created the HBUNC Media Group, which focuses on resource distribution for Carolina’s minority students.
This spring, she and classmates conducted heat-island research in the Sustainable Triangle Field Site, which is part of UNC’s Institute for the Environment. Their measurements highlighted significant temperature differences around UNC Hospitals and south campus.
Additional study abroad opportunities in Denmark and Germany allowed Lacayo to observe advanced environmental policies and green political frameworks. She feels a renewed commitment to bringing such ideas to the U.S., although she acknowledges the country’s slow progress toward equitable environmental policy.
Reflecting on her time at Carolina, Lacayo sees it as a microcosm of the broader world, a place that allowed her to engage with people from all walks of life. “It’s a beautiful representation of the world’s complexity, ”she said.
Lacayo plans to take a gap year after graduation to deepen her understanding of environmental justice issues before entering law school.
