Rachel Geilenfeld (’07) is a member of the ISU Alumni Association's board of directors and a policy advisor at Chevron Renewable Energy Group.
How did your Iowa State education help guide your career?
I was a political science major at Iowa State and one of the courses I took was called The Politics of Big Oil. At that time, I had no idea how that would so directly impact my future work. I was also heavily involved in an organization called ISU Ambassadors, which allowed me to experience hands-on advocacy at the state capital. We advocated for issues that impacted students at ISU and the other state universities. That was really my first experience with lobbying and fast-forward almost 20 years, that’s still what I do on a day-to-day basis.
What is your favorite ISU tradition?
Basketball is my favorite sport as a spectator; I really love when we play the extended version of the fight song and the student runs around the upper level of Hilton with the flag trying to run the entire circle before the song is over. I don’t know why it’s my favorite; I just think that it’s fun. The student is selected from Cyclone Alley and it’s been neat to see more female students getting to do the run.
What’s your oddest or most beloved object in your office?
Earlier in my career, I worked on political campaigns and one of the must-have items when you’re working on a political campaign is a map. Iowa DOT makes a six-foot version of the state of Iowa map. I have one on the wall in my office –– it’s 12 years old and I’ve moved it everywhere I’ve lived. The corners are completely tattered because I’ve hung it up on a lot of walls in a lot of different offices. It’s fun to look at a map that big. I have a running list of all the counties I visited, which is 76 so far. I will get to the 99th someday.