16th Class, 2009-2010
Field Placement: Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
Jennifer worked in partnership with religious congregations and community stakeholders to advocate for increasing access to full-service grocery stores in Nashville’s three “food desert” areas. She designed an interfaith toolkit to train young people of faith to be effective food justice organizers. Jennifer also wrote a guide on dismantling structural racism within food security organizations.
Hunger Free Community Report:
Breaking Bread: Engaging Religiously Diverse Youth in the Nashville Food Justice Movement is a resource manual that provides food security organizations with tools and strategies to connect with interfaith communities.
Policy Placement: National Conference of State Legislatures (Washington, DC)
Jennifer provided research support and policy analysis for state legislators on federal nutrition programs and immigration policy. She conducted a survey of state legislators to identify key issues and recommendations for improvements to federal child nutrition programs, and highlighted best practices in reducing hunger and improving nutrition in a report for state and local policymakers. She also co-authored 2010 Immigration-Related Bills and Resolutions in the States.
Pre-Fellowship Education and Experience:
An Illinois native, Jennifer is a 2009 graduate of Tufts University with a degree in political science. At Tufts, she served as a Citizenship and Public Service Scholar, President of the Emerging Black Leaders, Student Representative to the Board of Trustees, and member of the Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir. She has mentored and taught young people in Boston and Peru, interned with the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, and served as a Harvard Galbraith Scholar and 2008 Harry S. Truman Scholar.