Maia Rodriguez-Choi

Maia Rodriguez-Choi is a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles where she majored in Human Biology and Society. During her time at UCLA, she was involved with several food and agriculture-focused organizations, including serving as a board member of the UCLA farmers market, and interning for the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, where she developed a presentation focused on systemic racial inequality in the animal agriculture industry. She also interned for Glide Harm Reduction, serving the unhoused community in San Francisco by providing free food, safe injection supplies, and HIV testing. Growing up in Berkeley as a second-generation immigrant has shaped her view of food as a foundation of culture, health, and community, and she is passionate about using policy to build a world where good food is a human right.

Field placement: United Way of Greater Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennessee

Maia is working at the United Way in Knoxville, Tennessee to examine food insecurity among public housing residents. Working closely with Knoxville’s public housing authority, she is mapping assets, working with stakeholders, and engaging with residents to identify barriers and solutions to food assistance programs, with an emphasis on increasing client choice and dignity.

Policy placement: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Washington, D.C.

Publications