Originally from Belvidere, Illinois, Soad graduated from Northwestern University where she studied anthropology, psychology, and global health. On campus, Soad was an active leader in Coalition of Colors, a justice-orientated community organizing space for counter-hegemonic, oppressed-identifying students on campus. She also served as director of Food Day, where she coordinated … Read more
Leila Malow
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia and raised in Minnesota, Leila graduated from Macalester College in 2014 with a degree in political science. At Macalester, Leila was a Chuck Green Civic Engagement Fellow, and helped start a social enterprise providing immigrant young adults with work and leadership experience. She promoted multiculturalism and civic … Read more
Nora Leccese
Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Nora graduated from the University of Colorado in 2014, with a degree in economics and a focus on community leadership. Nora helped found Boulder Food Rescue, a national organization that uses bicycle power to redistribute produce that would otherwise go to waste from grocery stores to … Read more
Julia Kortrey
Julia grew up in the Atlanta area and graduated from Emory University in 2013 with a degree in English and minors in Arabic and community building and social change. As an Emory Community Building and Social Change Fellow, Julia collaborated with community leaders, nonprofits, government officials, and private sector leaders … Read more
Georgina Jimenez
Georgina grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2012 with a degree in political science and Chicano studies. She participated in the Service Learning program for Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and Centro De Los Trabajadores … Read more
Erika Inwald
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Erika graduated from Brown University with a degree in environmental studies in 2014. At Brown, Erika wrote a senior honors thesis about how food cooperatives in New York City can address issues of low-income food access. She also helped build a coalition of … Read more
Emily Duma
Emily was raised in Dousman, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with degrees in political science and international studies. Emily developed and facilitated an anti-racist food justice seminar, supported the development of Growing Power’s Madison hub, and helped start and grow a Slow Food campus chapter that served … Read more
Elizabeth Cooper
Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Elizabeth found her passion for social justice work at eighteen with the AmeriCorps program City Year. She graduated with academic honors in 2013 from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in urban studies and planning. Elizabeth interned with the BAME … Read more
David Blount
David grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri and graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2013 with degrees in sociology and international studies. After graduation, David completed a year of service with City Year Chicago, an education non-profit dedicated to ending the high school dropout crisis. At Loyola, David led multicultural initiatives … Read more
Madeline Becker
Raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Madeline graduated from Iowa State University in 2014 with degrees in political science and history. Madeline worked as an undergraduate research assistant where she coordinated seminars and conducted family based research on issues debated in the Iowa state legislature. She served as a deputy field … Read more
Rachel Aronson
Originally from Sharon, Massachusetts, Rachel graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in anthropology. At UVM, she interned at a transitional living program for domestic violence survivors, helped evaluate clients’ needs around food insecurity, and wrote an undergraduate thesis on the role of food for survivors of domestic … Read more
Mercy Erhiawarien
7th Class, 2013-2015 Policy Placement: ONE, Washington, DC Mercy worked within ONE’s Agriculture and Inclusive Growth Policy Team. Her work included contributing to the development of priorities for the 2015 African Union Year of Women’s Empowerment (AU YWE) and Sustainable Development … Read more