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 Benjamin Bowman
Field Placement: Community Farm Alliance (Louisville, KY)
Benjamin is studying a city incentive program to bring fresh, local food into Louisville's corner stores. He is also investigating the food needs of city institutions to determine the feasibility of an ordinance requiring them to buy Kentucky-grown agricultural products.
Education and Experience: Originally from Glastonbury, CT, Benjamin graduated from Fordham University in 2007 with a degree in philosophy and Latin American and Latino studies. During college he studied in El Salvador with the Casa de la Solidaridad program, and afterward he worked with various social justice communities, including the Grupo de Solidaridad in rural Nicaragua and Catholic Worker houses in the U.S.
 Veronica Conti
Field Placement: Logan Square Neighborhood Association (Chicago, IL)
Veronica is creating a wellness council at a local middle school bringing together parents, community members, school staff, and students to improve the health of the middle school community. Veronica is also working to increase participation among middle school students in universal school breakfast programs by evaluating students’ experience with the current program and making recommendations for improvement.
Education and Experience: Veronica graduated with honors in nutritional sciences from Cornell University in 2008. She was a Cornell Commitment Tradition Scholar, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and Cornell Cooperative Extension, and worked in Nicaragua teaching at a local school and volunteering at a program for pregnant women. She also wrote an honors thesis on body composition techniques, completed a community action fellowship at a county Health Planning Council, and interned at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
 Sarah Custer
Field Placement: Prevention Center, Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)
Sarah is working with the Food Policy Advisory Committee on advocacy and implementation strategies to bring grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and other healthy food retailers into underserved areas of New Orleans. She is also providing important research and support for the Louisiana State Senate's Healthy Food Retail Study Group. Through qualitative and quantitative data collection, Sarah is examining families' struggles with food access.
Education and Experience: Sarah graduated with first class honors from McGill University with a degree in international development studies and economics and a minor in political science. She has researched the impact of the bio-fuels industry on food security and land tenure in developing countries, and has held leadership positions in the Black Students Network, the Africana Program, and the Social Justice Committee. Sarah also interned with the Global Policy Forum, the Center for Court Innovation, and the NYC Coalition Against Hunger. Sarah grew up abroad in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Cuba and speaks fluent Italian, Spanish, and French.
 Kayleigh Gamble
Field Placement: Community Farm Alliance (Louisville, KY)
Kayleigh is organizing local churches and community groups to address food access needs in marginalized areas of Louisville. With community allies, she is exploring alternative models of community supported agriculture and developing materials to educate and promote the development of a Locally Integrated Food Economy in Louisville.
Education and Experience: Kayleigh graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in social policy and political science. Originally from Kansas City, MO, she is fluent in Spanish and has spent summers in Latin America working with Amigos de las Americas as a volunteer and project supervisor. Kayleigh conducted research in Valparaiso, Chile, worked with a housing collaborative in San Francisco, and co-taught a seminar on social change through the Peace Project.
 Eric Hoffman
Field Placement: Tucson Community Food Bank (Tucson, AZ)
Eric is working to promote the programs and special projects of the Community Food Security Center. He is writing a booklet about Southern Arizona's local food system to provide the community with a better understanding of the social, economic, environmental, political, and health effects of their food choices. Eric is also doing community outreach to educate the general public about community food security.
Education and Experience: Originally from Maryland, Eric earned a degree in political science and a minor in environmental studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland where he was a Nitze Scholar. He was active in the Student Environmental Action Coalition, Maryland Votes, the Student Government Association, and worked at a local organic farm. He interned at Food & Water Watch on their sustainable food program and worked as a field coordinator for the Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate Campaign. Eric also traveled to India, completed a Semester at Sea, and wrote his honors senior thesis on U.S. food aid policy.
 Mickey Hubbard
Field Placement: Vermont Food Bank (Barre, VT)
Mickey is working to address childhood hunger by establishing new Summer Food Service Program sites. He is building partnerships with area nonprofits and schools as well as organizing community advocates and stakeholders to provide summer meals in rural Vermont.
Education and Experience: Originally from Gainesville, GA, Mickey graduated from Davidson College in 2008 with a degree in political science. He served as a Bonner Scholar, led alternative breaks trips, volunteered with Crisis Assistance Ministry, and served as a college liaison to a local community development council. While interning at the National Coalition for the Homeless, Mickey supported voter registration and researched the criminalization of homelessness. Mickey also studied in Oman and worked to implement a monitoring system for HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Ethiopia.
 Eileen Hyde
Field Placement: Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force (Portland, OR)
Eileen is working to increase the capacity and sustainability of federal child nutrition programs in Oregon by helping to develop and implement a grant process that distributes funds to program sites and sponsors. She is planning and facilitating regional Summer Food conferences for sites and sponsors and is compiling, analyzing and publishing child nutrition participation data into program reports to help direct future outreach efforts.
Education and Experience: A native Vermonter, Eileen graduated with high honors from DePaul University in 2007 with a degree in international studies and a minor in community service. She studied sustainable development and social change in Central America, completed a thesis on citizen participation in economic and development policy, and worked on a community organizing initiative for Oxfam America’s Farm Bill Campaign. After college, Eileen served as an Americorps VISTA with the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, where she worked to strengthen the federal nutrition programs.
 Sofya Leonova
Field Placement: Center for Economic Progress (Chicago, IL)
Sofya is examining the financial strategies used by low-income families to meet their basic needs, and identifying the ways families connect to government programs and social services. She is conducting community listening sessions and in-depth interviews with low-income individuals and service providers, and writing a report assessing the impact of low-income tax credits on low-income communities in Illinois.
Education and Experience: Originally from Russia, Sofya graduated in 2008 with a degree in environmental studies from the University of Chicago. She conducted research on the intersection of environmental, health, and poverty issues at Chicago’s Field Museum, studied conservation and natural resource management in Brazil, and researched the potential for environmental initiatives within Brazil’s agrarian reform settlements.
 Kelly Meredith
Field Placement: Oregon Child Development Coalition (Portland, OR)
Kelly is assessing the barriers that keep family day care providers from enrolling in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through surveys and in-depth interviews with administrators, state sponsors, day care providers, and families, Kelly is documenting access barriers and proposing recommendations for increasing statewide participation in CACFP.
Education and Experience: A native of North Carolina, Kelly graduated with high honors and phi beta kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 with a degree in Spanish and sociology. She was a Carolina Covenant Scholar and worked with Habitat for Humanity and the Hunger and Homelessness Outreach Project to address local issues of hunger and poverty. Kelly also studied in Spain, worked with a high school Spanish class, and served as a mentor to local Latino high school students.
 Morenike Mosuro
Field Placement: Boston Medical Center, Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (Boston, MA)
Working with a team of attorneys, Morenike is collaborating with pediatricians and community health centers to address the hunger and nutrition issues of low income families. She is assisting patient families with applications for food stamps and utility discounts and advocating for clients with government agencies. She is also researching the effectiveness of “co-location of resources” at Boston Medical Center, where a food stamp eligibility worker visits the hospital regularly to process food stamp applications on-site.
Education and Experience: Originally from Takoma Park, Maryland, Morenike graduated from Guilford College in 2007 with a degree in history and peace and conflict studies. She served in leadership positions in Student Government, Amnesty International, NAACP, and on a delegation to Israel and Palestine. As a Multicultural Leadership Scholar at Guilford, Morenike participated in anti-racist and anti-oppressive trainings, served as a Safe Zone counselor, and volunteered as a tutor and mentor for at-risk youth and homeless families.
 Raquel Oriol
Field Placement: Tucson Community Food Bank (Tucson, AZ)
Raquel is developing a new curriculum for the food bank’s economic family literacy program. She is leading classroom discussions on healthy food choices, the effects of advertising on families, local food systems, and sleuthing in local supermarkets. She is also conducting market basket surveys with family literacy classes and community groups to empower parents to make conscious nutrition choices and healthy diet changes for their families.
Education and Experience: A native New Yorker, Raquel is a 2008 graduate of Kenyon College with a degree in anthropology. On campus, she led various multi-cultural groups to promote cultural awareness and understanding. Raquel has conducted qualitative research on the lives of domestic workers in Peru, studied in Honduras, and traveled throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
 Nico Quintana
Field Placement: The Food Project (Boston, MA)
Nico is evaluating the impact of a pilot program that introduced food stamp machines at farmers markets in low-income Boston neighborhoods by conducting surveys and interviews and working with community members to find potential areas of improvement. Nico is also educating Boston elementary school children about healthy food choices and supporting the efforts of the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness. She is organizing a community meeting series to discuss the project findings and identifying policy priorities for the implementation phase of the project.
Education and Experience: Originally from Eugene, OR, Nico graduated from Smith College in 2006 with a degree in government and a minor in sociology. She was involved in campus organizations devoted to racial and economic justice, immigrant rights, and transgender equality. After college, Nico worked in the Office of Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and then as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Policy Fellow in the office of Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) where she helped found the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus, organized a Congressional briefing series on race and poverty in the U.S., and helped publish the first anti-poverty task force report for the Progressive Caucus.
 Michael Richardson
Field Placement: Hope House (New Orleans, LA)
Michael is documenting the effects of high utility costs on low-income New Orleans residents and conducting outreach around energy conservation in homes facing shut-offs. His report is designed to raise awareness and mobilize communities around the accessibility of utility assistance in New Orleans. Michael is also developing strategic partnerships to generate more sustainable sources for the Hope House food pantry.
Education and Experience: A native of Winston Salem, NC, Michael graduated with Honors from Morehouse College in 2008 with a degree in psychology. He is an Americorps alumnus who served as a Bonner Scholar and an executive coordinator for Jumpstart, taught math to youth in Belize, and coordinated youth programs on campus. Michael also served with Habitat for Humanity, Hands on Atlanta, and the United Methodist Children’s Home.
 Cristina Sepe
Field Placement: Maryland Hunger Solutions (Baltimore, MD)
Cristina is collaborating with Baltimore City Public Schools to increase school breakfast participation by implementing more innovative school breakfast delivery models. She is documenting methods for overcoming some of the obstacles to implementing successful school breakfast programs in Baltimore City schools, developing trainings for school staff, and creating a Maryland-specific toolkit that will be used to demonstrate the positive impact of innovative service models with tips for how best to implement them.
Education and Experience: Originally from Lakewood, WA, Cristina graduated from Stanford University in 2008 with a degree in public policy, concentrating in social and education policy. She led a small group Bible study with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, led an alternative spring break trip on urban education issues, and volunteered as an elementary school tutor. Cristina also researched the effects of racial school segregation on the black-white achievement gap, taught summer school in Los Angeles, and interned at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Office of Public and Indian Housing.
 Collin Siu
Field Placement: Solid Ground (Seattle, WA)
Collin is examining the effects of federal nutrition and human services interventions on the health and life outcomes of seniors and people with disabilities in Seattle's public housing. Through surveys, focus groups, and data analysis, Collin is documenting the positive effects of the programs on residents and the programs’ cost-effectiveness for local government authorities.
Education and Experience: Originally from Mililani, HI, Collin graduated from Willamette University with a degree in economics and Spanish. He has taught English to immigrant farm workers, helped design a survey evaluating an Individual Development Accounts program, conducted research on poverty in Hawai‘i, and interned with the Governor of Oregon. Collin also studied in Spain and was named a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow in 2007.
 Mark Stovell
Field Placement: Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (Burlington, VT)
Mark is researching best practices for summer food sponsors and sites, making them specific to the challenges facing rural Vermont Communities. He is also making presentations of the Campaign’s documentary “Every Child, Every Day” and creating a toolkit on how to use the film in local and state advocacy efforts.
Education and Experience: A native of Ohio, Mark graduated from Ohio University with a degree in political science and sociology and wrote an honors thesis on welfare reform. He served as a tutor at a local middle school, as a volunteer at the regional homeless shelter, and as a research scholar for the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. He also interned with the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and with Policy Matters Ohio.
 Christine Tran
Field Placement: Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee, WI)
Christine is conducting research on “plate waste” in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to evaluate student eating habits during Universal Free Breakfast in the Classroom. She is also compiling qualitative information from school communities to assess the value and impact of the Child and Adult Care Food Program supper pilots in MPS. Findings from both projects will be used to make recommendations for improving nutritional programming and outreach within the community.
Education and Experience: A native Californian, Christine graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004 with a degree in English and Asian American Studies. In 2006, she earned a M.Ed. from the UCLA School of Education and completed her Master's Inquiry on students’ stigmatization of the school meal program. Christine taught high school English, journalism, and Asian Studies for the Los Angeles Unified School District, was an active member of the Student California Teachers Association, and served on the Executive Board as Communications Editor. In 2004, Christine was named Outstanding Local Leader by the National Education Association.
 Stephany Whitaker
Field Placement: Maryland Food Bank (Baltimore, MD)
Stephany is examining the relationships between the Maryland Food Bank and network providers to determine the gaps in the state emergency food provision. Through research and mapping technology, Stephany is creating a report with recommendations and strategies to help the Maryland Food Bank serve its communities more effectively.
Education and Experience: Originally from Richmond, KY, Stephany is a 2008 graduate of Berea College where she obtained a degree in biology. She led the annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive for the local food bank and helped launch Hunger and Homelessness week. On campus, Stephany served as a Bonner Scholar and was the student director of the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service.
 Ayanna Williams
Field Placement: Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee, WI)
Ayanna is working to make food stamp benefits more accessible to low-income residents of Milwaukee County. She is conducting research and identifying best practices for improving the speed and quality of the application process, and assisting food pantries with food stamp outreach activities.
Education and Experience: Originally from Bowie, MD, Ayanna graduated from Colgate University in 2008 with a degree in geography and sociology. At Colgate she served as an Upstate Institute Fellow, residential advisor, and Manzi Fellow, and she studied social policy in the U.S, Australia, and Uganda. Ayanna also conducted geographic, biological, and public health research in Buhoma, Uganda.
 Renita Woolford
Field Placement: Lifelong AIDS Alliance (Seattle, WA)
Renita is conducting research on federally funded nutritional counseling and home-delivered meal programs for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and multiple sclerosis. Her research is supporting the organization's medical nutrition therapy project, which focuses on the impact of nutrition therapy on health care outcomes and costs. She is also conducting interviews for a story bank to document the impact of nutritional counseling and home-delivered meal programs.
Education and Experience: Renita is a 2008 graduate of Duke University where she earned a degree in Women's Studies. On campus, Renita served as a peer educator for safe-sex and healthy lifestyles, the president of her sorority, a mentor to 5th grade girls, and a volunteer at her local hospital. Originally from Georgia, Renita plans to pursue a career in medicine and public health.
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