Alumni Spotlight: Where Are They Now?
Kelly Schwenger – Helitack Firefighter
Kelly Schwenger (Forest and Fire Sciences, ’24) was an active student in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, competing on the Cal Poly Logging Team, where she served as president and was named three-times as Belle of the Woods – top overall female competitor in a timber sports competition.
With that history, it’s no surprise her career has taken off.
The daughter of a retired fire captain, Schwenger is no stranger to fire. Yet, when she first joined the volunteer fire department in her hometown of Esparto, California, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she did it to get medical experience prior to becoming a doctor.
When the devastating LNU Lightning Complex Fires occurred in 2020, burning more than 360,000 acres across five counties, and she knew her path was set. Today, she is a member of the elite, specialized CAL FIRE Boggs Mountain Helitack Crew, a unit of firefighters who respond to wildfires by helicopter.
Read the full Q&A with Schwenger in Cultivate Spring 2025.
Read more stories in the Summer 2025 Newsletter
To make an online gift in support of the NRES Department, please use the GIVING link. If you would like to designate your gift for a specific major, scholarship, club or team, please contact Tim Northrop at tnorthro@calpoly.edu.
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