Life

Food is a precious commodity that my parents have always taught me to respect. Respect it by finishing my plate of food, not asking for too much, and not playing with it while eating because others may not have any all. The culture of family taught me to respect food and especially water, as something precious. I can recall learning about water conservation in Africa when I was in elementary school and being feverishly passionate about doing my part. Although I may have lost that fire as I grew older and learned new information to fill my head, now I have to come to a decision of my career.

Whether in rural Cambodia or prestigious England, food systems exist globally and have a snow-ball effect on our environment, society, economy, health, and the list continues. I have contemplated inserting myself into this food equation as an Urban Planner whose focus it is to learn the culture and needs of a community while enabling their change in their local food system better sustainable and culturally appropriate food. Being that there is a large demand for planners in food system planning, I can find a specific area I would like to work in for a few years and implement projects that may or may not contribute to alleviating famine or shrinking food swamps for healthy food options. Health and food go hand in hand and not many people know the benefits of herbs or a dairy-free diet. I even witness my college friends saying they feel sick or weak because they cannot afford leafy greens to add to their diets.

If possible, to spread awareness on affordable, accessibly healthy foods then maybe families can come closer together and be less plagued with diseases that distraught them mentally and financially. I would like to actively participate in my career my being involved hands-on in the community - running outside, knowing the local people who would be my neighbors, creating programs for the community to attend and receive feedback from.

Although I am still not sure about the details, I think I would like to combine Urban Planning in Food Systems with healthy, affordable, and access-able food.