Above: Paige Clay, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. Being a true Coloradoan I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I found out I’d be moving to Syracuse, New York, for my field placement. Having never been to Syracuse or New … Read more
Fruitful Yields: Mapping and Re-Shaping Chicago’s Food Landscape
Above: Artis Trice, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. As my father and I drove through the last tollbooth between northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois, the expansive Chicago skyline appeared before us. An eleven-hour drive led us up to that point: arriving … Read more
Hunger and the Homelessness Crisis: Researching Affordable Housing in Oregon
Above: Nitan Shanas, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. I remember how it felt when I heard that I would be working with the Welcome Home Coalition in Portland, Oregon. I alternated between being nervous about being so far away from my … Read more
Realizing our Interconnectedness to the Land: A Path to Food Sovereignty in Arkansas
Above: Julie Noreene Bautista, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. During my last semester of college I interned for the Congress of Nations and States, a newly established international organization where Indigenous Nations and State governments participate in dialogue on an equal … Read more
We are Witnessing the Institutionalization of Race in Food Advocacy: Analyzing Approaches to Equity in Maryland
Above: Sofia Charlot, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. In the words of Director Michael J. Wilson, “at Maryland Hunger Solutions (MDHS), we don’t touch food; but we do touch systems, policy, and people.” MDHS pride themselves in doing work that goes … Read more
Alum Profile: Dr. Melissa Zook
An alum from the first class of National Hunger Fellows, Dr. Melissa Zook (‘95) does not hesitate to give credit to the Congressional Hunger Center for how the fellowship experience influenced her career trajectory. Not only did her field placement bring … Read more
The Power of Abundance: Engaging Youth in Political Change
Above: Jacquelyn Sullivan, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. There is a moment in every student’s life where the academic meets reality. I began my undergraduate career at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, with an intent to study political science. I … Read more
28th Class of Emerson National Hunger Fellows Announced
We are pleased to announce the latest class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows and their field placements. These 18 young leaders will spend the next year supporting anti-hunger and anti-poverty work at the local and national level and developing … Read more
Being Actionable: Practical Advocacy in California and Washington, D.C.
Above: Max De Faria, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. Growing up, I watched my parents struggle to make ends meet every month. There was barely enough, but prior to the Great Recession, we got by. When the 2008 financial crisis brought … Read more
Oh How Stories Can Inspire: Using Narrative to Champion Healthy Food Access
Above: Niisoja Torto, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. In college, I organized a trip with some of my classmates to New Orleans. No, sadly, it wasn’t for Mardi Gras. We were there to learn firsthand about topics ranging from local environmental … Read more
Action and Healing: Looking at Agricultural Extension in Indian Country
Above: Lexie Holden, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. When indicating my field placement preferences last summer, serving Native American communities was at the top of my list for two reasons. First, I am a proud member of the Choctaw Nation of … Read more
Everybody In, Nobody Out: The Moral Movement to End Poverty and Hunger
Above: Tony Eskridge, 27th Class Emerson Fellow. In my Urban Studies and Public Policy classes at Rhodes College, we discussed topics that were important to me, such as systemic racism, food insecurity, and gentrification for the upper-class. However, my introduction … Read more