Meet Rachel Painter

Rachel Painter ’25 from Fortville, In. came to Valpo on a preview day and instantly knew that it was where she belonged. 

“I really came here because of the community feeling that I had. I felt like it was definitely my home,” she says. “My favorite thing is how willing the professors are to work with you and support you in continuing your education.” 

Originally a meteorology major, Rachel’s experience working with VUTV convinced her to switch to digital media arts. Her experience with the environmentalist organization Earthtones led her to taking a more active role in improving sustainability in the community as a plastic waste reduction intern.

“I’ve always wanted to get into sustainability, but didn’t have the opportunity to do so at home,” Rachel says. “I’ve learned a lot about why sustainability is important on campus, and why it’s important in general. That’s made me want to pursue it even more.” 

Rachel, along with fellow intern Tyler Kuss, work with the Porter County Recycling and Waste Reduction District to curtail the amount of plastic finding its way into local landfills. Their first step was taking a look at the University itself, with unexpected results. 

“The campus produces a lot of plastic,” Rachel says. “It was over 42% of waste, which was surprising. Our campus is very much reliant on plastic at this point.”

Since performing the campus plastic waste audit, Rachel and Tyler have compiled a list of over 50 ways Valpo can improve sustainability, and are looking to take what they’ve learned across Porter County. Today, Rachel is working with Porter County on connecting with local businesses to help them find ways to run with less waste. She has also found ways to reduce the amount of waste produced in her personal life. 

“I’ve changed a lot about what I do. I’ve become a lot more aware of what I’m using,” Rachel says. “I’ve bought IKEA bags instead of using plastic bags. I’ve been bringing silverware everywhere, using a portable water bottle, and trying to reduce the amount of waste that I’m producing.”

Learn more about Rachel and the other sustainability interns at Valpo here.