Alumni Profiles

Erika L. Hartwig '03Clemson in D.C.
Erika L. Hartwig ’03

Spring 2004

Biological sciences graduate Erika Hartwig from Lexington set her sights on Washington, D.C., to begin her career after graduation. In her job search, she found an opportunity to educate citizens through a speaking tour around the East Coast discussing ocean resource depletion. As a four-year debater for the Clemson Forensics Team, she was up to the challenge.

At the end of the tour, Hartwig was hired by National Environmental Trust to work on a campaign to protect and promote “roadless areas” in our national forests.

She’s supporting a U.S. Forest Service initiative to protect 58.5 million miles of roadless areas from timber harvesting, mining and road-building, mostly in the Western states and Alaska. Her job is to educate citizens, lobby members of Congress, organize activists and build grassroots support in seven key states.

Hartwig credits her academic foundation along with her overall Clemson experience outside the classroom for her success. With student internships from the State House to Capitol Hill to Nairobi, Kenya, and as many student organizations and activities as she could fit into her schedule, Hartwig has had a full Clemson education to say the least.

Now as an alumna, she’s a member of Clemson’s Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Young Alumni group, IPTAY and even the Clemson coed basketball team that plays in D.C. Her sister, Kristen, is a current Clemson student majoring in communications studies.

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