Considering Washington State swimming had two NCAA All-Americans, Emily Lundgren and Darcy Revitt, and went undefeated, it is easy to get wrapped up in the headlines of the team’s 2025-2026 campaign.
However, sophomore butterfly swimmer Sawyer Yahna is standing out this week, not for her performance in the pool, but for her environmental studies in the classroom.
When she decided to come to the Palouse to swim, she wanted to study marine sciences. However, WSU does not offer marine sciences as a major, so she decided to study the next-closest thing: environmental and ecosystem sciences.
Since starting her studies in Pullman, Yahna said humanity’s impact on the environment, particularly through fossil fuels and pollution, has been the main topic her classes have focused on.
In her opinion, fossil fuels are the biggest way that humans have impacted the environment.
“[Fossil fuel usage has] grown so much in the recent years, and…people realize it, but they don’t realize how bad it’s gotten,” she said.
According to researchers at Our World in Data, fossil fuels, when burned, are the largest contributor to global climate change. And since 1983, the global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled.
Despite the way fossil fuels have negatively impacted the planet’s environment, Earth Day is typically the one day every year when people worldwide come together to appreciate the Earth.
Yahna said observing the nature around where you live is a common way to celebrate the holiday. Other ways to celebrate April 22 include attending an Earth Day event, planting a tree, being plastic-free for a day and visiting a park, per an Earth Day organization.
Yahna, as a swimmer, also believes maintaining clean water sources is important.
“Clean water sources can go a long way,” she said. “It’s important to keep…the clean water because it’s a healthy land for everyone. And I mean, it keeps the trees going, it keeps…the diversity in all the forests and everything else good.”
Every year, about one billion people become ill due to unsafe water, per an article by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Unsafe water can also create harmful algal blooms in bodies of water, which can reduce oxygen and suffocate plants and animals.
To promote the Earth’s cleanliness and healthiness, Yahna thinks athletes can use their influence and platforms.
“If you have a good platform, I think it’s important to help and use your voice in any way you can, even if it’s just something small,” she said.
Yahna said she intends to pursue more education in two years after she graduates. While she does not know exactly what that looks like yet, she said options include entering law school to become an environmental lawyer, or earning a degree in marine science or a master’s in another environmental field.
