Jackson Schmidtke

Jackson is currently an Energy and Environmental Policy Analyst at Xcel Energy, a US utility company that operates in eight states. Focusing on Wisconsin, he handles policy analysis and regulatory compliance for a handful of topic areas including renewable energy and demand response. 

Prior to energy work, he spent time in program management for international and study abroad students at his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. His interest in international education stemmed from his semester long undergraduate study abroad experience at the University of Winchester. That experience in the UK higher education system led him to pursue his MSc at York in Innovation, Leadership, and Management. 

Since graduating online from York, Jackson visited campus for the first time in 2022 to see firsthand how special the campus and city are. He quickly became a fan of York’s cozy pubs and campus’ abundant bird life. He did not spot the famous Long Boi, much to his disappointment. He believes Higher Education is an investment that lasts a lifetime and can never be taken away. Jackson is passionate about expanding access to higher education to anyone that seeks it.  He is excited to work to help the York for Life staff and alumni create opportunities for the York experience to impact graduates for life, especially those that may never set foot on campus.