For sociology major Amanda Friedman ’18, a large part of her Haverford experience outside of the classroom centered on food justice.
“I learned a lot about food systems through my work in ETHOS Food Initiative,” said Friedman. “ETHOS is a student group that attempts to source more sustainable, local food at Haverford while educating the community about food justice and related issues.”
As a FoodCorps service member, Friedman will be partnering with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Food Access on a project called BOSFoodLove to improve the quality of food in Boston Public Schools. Friedman will have an important voice in the program’s development and impact.
“One thing that I find really appealing about this position is that the BOSFoodLove program is in its first year.” she said. “So, as an incoming service member I will play a big role in determining what the partnership will look like in years going forward.”
Friedman and her team members will organize focus groups and forums with parents, students, and community members to understand their food habits and preferences and then make informed changes to school meals in an effort to increase the participation rate in the school meals.
“I am so excited to start doing community-based food systems work! I never thought that I would get to do work directly related to my interests immediately after graduation,” said Friedman, who found out about FoodCorps through a list of gap year resources provided by the Center for Career and Professional Advising. “I will be part of a cohort of other fellows who will be doing similar work at schools and organizations all across Massachusetts, and I’m looking forward to meeting people with who will be engaged in similar projects as me. At the beginning of my service term, I will travel to Portland, Ore., to meet dozens of FoodCorps members who will be serving all across the U.S.”
After the completion of her service, Friedman sees herself emerging with a new set of skills and insight into what sort of career in food or social justice she might pursue in the long term.
“In this position,” she said, “I hope that I’ll figure out what some of my strengths are as a service provider so I can continue to be of service to people in the most effective way possible.”
“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series reporting on the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Friedman ’18