Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Education: I hold a BA in Sociology & Anthropology, with concentration in Gender Studies from Lewis & Clark College located in Portland, Oregon.
How did you learn about the Food Systems program and what made you interested in applying. I was looking at Agroecology programs and reached out to my undergraduate advisor, Deborah Heath. Dr. Heath had collaborated on a research project with Dr. Trubek and introduced me to Amy’s work and the program.
Tell us more about your educational background and your interests. I graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2006 and didn’t apply to graduate school until 2013. During this time I lived abroad in Southeast Asia and worked in New York City for five years. I spent my time outside of work attending exhibits, lectures, and workshops. Basically, I would sign up for anything that sounded interesting. As time moved along my interests became increasingly focused on agriculture and food systems. I was ready to shift my career away from the film and photo world and toward a career in Food Systems.
How has your educational background and experience prepared you for studying food systems? I value my formal educational experiences working with diverse groups, learning qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and writing an undergraduate thesis. However, it was really my professional and personal experiences that “prepared” me for graduate school. I really took the time to figure out what my true interests were, and then took the steps to make my interests a viable career path. My motivations for doing well in graduate school really stemmed from my own drive and understanding of life outside of academia.
What are your future career goals? I have already applied to a few jobs, mostly in policy and outreach. I will begin a position in October working as a Communications Professional in UVM Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EPNEP).
Have you learned anything in particular, since entering the program that has surprised you? This sounds simple, but I am still learning how to “trust the process.” It has actually been a tough lesson for me to learn, especially with group work. I am a go-getter type that sometimes needs to be reminded to let things ruminate and to take one step at a time.
Please leave us with a fun fact about yourself. I own a wether goat named Soda. I am currently attempting to train him to be a pack animal and to carry supplies on backpacking trips. However, with work and finishing up my project I am finding it hard to dedicate much time to this extracurricular activity.