Lucy Westlake, the youngest American woman to reach the top of Mount Everest, has climbed glaciated mountains since she was 11 years old. Over the years, she’s seen them change.
“Going back to the same mountains, I just saw how much they’ve melted,” Westlake said, describing how glaciers shortened and shrunk inward, exposing more rock underneath the snow. “You can visibly see it when you’ve been around them for 10 years. You can tell the differences.”
Westlake, a senior at the USC Price School of Public Policy, is now researching what she’s witnessed. For her senior thesis, she’s studying the impact of light absorbing particles, such as black carbon and microplastics, on glaciers. She plans to make policy recommendations once the research is complete.
The project is the culmination of how her time at the USC Price School has brought together her career of climbing mountains to her newly discovered passions for data and research.
The summer after her freshman year, Westlake went to Pakistan to climb a mountain called Ketu, the second tallest mountain in the world. A researcher asked Westlake to collect samples from the mountain while she was there, introducing Westlake to the research world.
“I just absolutely loved it,” Westlake said. “I was only on the data collection side. I wasn’t doing any research myself, but collecting samples was really awesome. I’ve continued to collect samples on every mountain I’ve climbed since.”
Her new hobby paired perfectly with what she learned in the classroom. She switched from the Philanthropy, Nonprofits and Social Innovation Track to the Public Policy and Data Analytics track for Bachelor of Science in Public Policy (BSPP) degree after data classes taught by Professors T.J. McCarthy and Mark Phillips became her favorite courses.
“I think statistics is probably the most valuable skill you could have going into any career. This world is made up of data,” Westlake said. “Being able to read data and digest research is so valuable. These classes have given me literacy for that.”
On Top of the World, Yet Down to Earth
For someone who has scaled the world’s tallest mountains, Westlake is pretty down to Earth, according to her peers.
“In fact, I tease her about it,” said Gavin Heraldo, a USC Price School student who is in most of Westlake’s classes. “When I introduce her to people, it’s almost embarrassing for her when I tell them, ‘Oh, yeah, she’s actually the youngest American woman to summit Everest.’”
Even though she doesn’t seek attention, Westlake has a camera crew following her. She is the subject of a documentary that recently began production. Mike Ferrell and Lucy Soepenberg, who are both producing and directing the film, describe it as a coming-of-age story. They are chronicling how Westlake became the youngest American woman to summit Everest, but also exploring what comes next in life after such an achievement.
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Find Out More“A lot of times when you’re talking about athletes, it’s easy to take people who have high accomplishments and put them on a pedestal,” Soepenberg said. “We want to showcase what Lucy’s journey is like as she is taking different approaches to different things. She’s now challenging herself as a climber and has more expeditions coming up, but she’s also going into the sciences.”
For her part, Westlake concedes she is not a natural in front of the camera. She is not one to record herself for TikTok or social media videos.
“But I think a documentary is a more authentic way to represent yourself,” Westlake said. “I really love the crew that I’m working with. They’re awesome, and I really trust them and their vision.”
The Power of Good Habits
What stands out about Westlake?
“I think it’s her worth ethic,” Heraldo said, noting that she juggles athletics while still earning top grades in class. She’s even written a cookbook full of healthy recipes, he noted. “It amazes me that she’s able to do all of these things and not fall behind,” Heraldo added.
The secret to success may be her routine. Asked to offer advice on how to achieve personal goals, Westlake credited her parents for establishing the importance of studying each day before play as a child. The same applies to her athletics: she’s gone for a run almost every day since she was six years old.
“The main thing that’s allowed me to succeed is having really good habits,” Westlake said. “Just having that work routine. I can’t imagine not running every day, and that’s just something that’s so ingrained into my life that it’s just a habit – just automatic for me…It takes out the having to decide. It makes it a lot easier mentally.”
Westlake is approaching another summit: she’s set to graduate in May.
While earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy (BSPP) is not exactly climbing a mountain, the past four years at USC have been a journey. Westlake met her boyfriend and closest friends here, discovered a passion for research and data analytics, joined the USC track and cross- country teams – then quit them to focus on her personal life and relationships. She spent a semester in Washington, D.C., and became the subject of a documentary.
“One of the things that stands out most to me is how my priorities have shifted,” said Westlake, reflecting on her USC experience. “I definitely changed a lot freshman to senior year, and there have been ups and downs, but I am really happy with where I’m at. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
As for what’s next, Westlake eventually wants to pursue a PhD and study glaciers. But first, she plans to continue her current job as a mountain and rock-climbing guide, coaching climbers and helping other people achieve their goals.
