Implementing Farm to School in McDowell County, West Virginia: Farm to School in Rural Appalachia

Lakeisha graduated with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture & society from Iowa State University in May 2018 where her major focused largely on courses from sociology, political science, and economics to prepare students to become leaders in addressing complex issues related to the social and human dimensions of agriculture, such as poverty and food insecurity, at both the local and global level. As an undergraduate student, she worked as a Cyclone Aide, Peer Mentor and Teaching Assistant to foster an environment that encourages diversity and inclusion and gained valuable written and verbal communication skills, project management skills and skills in event management. In addition to her education and work experiences, Lakeisha spent much of her childhood growing up poor and hungry, living in shelters and churches in Des Moines, Iowa. Her firsthand experiences, combined with her education, has been the fuel for Lakeisha’s passion to contribute to anti-poverty and anti-hunger efforts and bridge the gap between those that suffer from hunger, poverty, and oppression and those that do not, while eliminating the harmful stereotypes surrounding them.