University of Wisconsin–Madison

France: Maya Pham (Badgers Go Green)

Program: L’Institut Agro Montpellier Exchange, Spring

Maya’s Majors: Biology, Botany

Maya and a classmate embracing each other while leaning against a small stone wall. Stone buildings and a small greenspace are behind them.
Our school’s research vineyards where we conducted field samplings measuring soil health and effects of cover crops.

Maya’s Badgers Go Green Scholarship Giveback Reflection

Hello! My name is Maya Pham, and last semester (Spring 2025), I had the incredible opportunity to study at SupAgro Montpellier in southern France. This upcoming fall, I’ll be entering my senior year at UW-Madison, where I’m pursuing a double major in Botany and Biology, along with certificates in Environmental Studies and 2D Studio Art. While I’m still exploring potential career paths, I’m deeply motivated to find solutions to climate change.

When searching for a study abroad program, I prioritized opportunities that focused on environmentalism. SupAgro Montpellier strongly aligned with my interests, particularly in Agroecology and Plant Science, so I applied.

A three-story residence hall with greenspace in front. A rainbow hangs in the sky.
One of the University dorms where I lived.

I’m aware of the irony in traveling internationally while working to combat climate change, so I made an effort to minimize my carbon footprint while abroad. My program supported this goal in several ways. For example, I lived in a dorm and sourced most of my basic living supplies, like plates and bowls, from secondhand stores and students who were leaving. When my semester ended, I passed those items along to friends and classmates to reuse. SupAgro’s sustainability efforts also impressed me: the dining hall used reusable dishes and utensils, and food waste was sorted for composting by students. Even small details, like motion-sensor lighting throughout the university, contributed to reducing energy consumption. There were also student-led clubs focused on environmental sustainability, which added to the campus’s sustainable opportunities.

One of my main goals was to gain new perspectives on climate change solutions, and I achieved this through both coursework and lived experiences. At UW-Madison, I previously conducted research at the Ané Lab, studying bacteria as an alternative fertilizer– a promising practice for sustainable agriculture. In France, I discovered a broader range of agricultural methods and theories.

A group of student on a grass path. Crops and elevated solar panels are behind them.
A field trip to a monastery’s farm, similar to subsistence agriculture.

In one of my agroecology courses, we visited various farms to observe their practices firsthand. One farm specialized in agroforestry, integrating trees with crops or pasture. We spoke with farmers about their challenges, strategies, and successes. The contrast between these farms and the corn fields typically found in Wisconsin was striking and made me reflect on how these methods could be adapted back home.

While the academic content was informative, it was my classmates who had the largest impact on me. My courses included students from Chile, Brazil, Senegal, Cameroon, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Cambodia, and France. Hearing such diverse perspectives in one classroom was incredibly eye-opening. It was inspiring to realize that people from all over the world share similar passions and goals. In this case, the University of SupAgro Montpellier brought us all together to learn how to make our world more sustainable.