When I was a sophomore and I took AP Environmental Science, I found that my most meaningful and engaging work was centered around the foods unit. Food has always played a critical role in my life. As an Indonesian immigrant, the familiar taste of “gorengan” kept me rooted in my identity. I was engrossed in how the different farming methods not only affected our food, but the environment, culture, economy, and the community. The nutrition and health aspect of food occurred to me when my dad’s health required “better foods.” At the time, that term meant alternative brands from Whole Foods. But when the nearest store was 18 miles away, It exactly wasn’t the type of food I could imagine my family buying. My parents had both grown up in a country where food never came with nutritional distinctions. And a generation later, that lack of food literacy still remains. The whole situation was a cause of concern, something that threatened the health of my family, and others like us. Food sovereignty and literacy is a long overdue issue in America, especially for immigrants and people of color. Land access and hunger issues are racial equity issues: Black farmers and Indigenous peoples have had their land stolen for generations and diet-related illnesses like diabetes are more prevalent among people of color. The disparity has led to disproportionate levels of nutrition and perpetuates generations of systemic barriers. As a Muslim, every Ramadan I see mosques in urban centers such as Everett and South Seattle without an adequate amount of food, cautiously portioning meals. I believe that the first step to a more equitable food system is education and exposure. With the help of a GripTape grant, I founded AgConnection as an effort to promote food and agriculture education in my community. I recruited a team of high schoolers and created our official website, which acts as an online clearinghouse bridging students with local opportunities. The goal is to awaken a food-literate generation and lessen the strain of food and agriculture-related environmental, economic, and health issues. We have also created educational infographics and posts on education opportunities on Instagram. Being the main platform for young people, we saw the outreach opportunity. Our posts spotlight food justice heroes, such as Tanya Fields, or define food vocabulary, so that our followers will become more informed consumers. More recently, we’ve partnered with local elementary schools to teach younger kids about food systems. Through fundraising and grants, we’ve been able to provide kids with at-home science kids so they can continue exploring the science of food and plants from home. My goal is to teach my underclassmen the skills that help them create meaningful contributions to the school and our greater community. And with the connections we’ve made with the community and schools, I hope to inspire younger students to start exploring the multidisciplinary nature of food systems. As a student, I can't wait to utilize the resources available at college and ideate effective solutions. Getting the opportunity to present research and essays with recognized faculty and the greater community would help raise awareness of the issues plaguing our communities, giving voice to the people within our food system. Having that support while working in communities will push the movement forward greatly, getting more and more people to rally behind a more equitable and just food system.

Spending summers in the smog-covered rice fields of Bandung, I’ve grown up with the understanding that our current relationship with the environment is unbalanced and unhealthy. The food aspect of environmental science occurred to me when my dad’s health required “better foods.” The term was obscure, what is considered “good” or “bad” food, anyway? The mornings spent preparing his meals I’d often wonder if the answer was found in the agricultural method, that somehow, it was the soil and climate that affected the food we ate. It was something barely touched upon at school, and I found the lack of food and agriculture-literacy to be a cause of concern. If the environment had such a big pull on our nutritional health, kids should be more exposed to the topic. Food literacy is a long overdue issue in America. The disparity has led to disproportionate levels of sovereignty and perpetuates generations of systemic barriers. From food insecurity, to land rights, to the environment, there were so many parts that played into our food system. Even after doing my own research and readings, I saw evidence of those issues in my own life. As a Muslim, every Ramadan I see mosques in urban centers such as Everett and South Seattle without an adequate amount of food, cautiously portioning meals. I believe that the first step to a more equitable food system is education and exposure. With the help of a GripTape grant, I founded AgConnection as an effort to promote food and agriculture education in my community. I recruited a team of high schoolers and created our official website, which acts as an online clearinghouse bridging students with local opportunities. We had a slow start, with many of our projects ending prematurely and our outreach emails getting no responses. One such project was the “Food and Agriculture Career Panel”, which would feature interviews from professionals in the industry. Out of the 30 emails sent, we only got 1 interview. But we kept emailing and updating our website, as well as brainstorming better methods to reach more students. One of those ideas was to create an Instagram account and post about the various opportunities one would find on our site. I slowly started learning marketing strategies on Instagram and expanded the content of our posts into interactive contests, quizzes, and educational infographics about food and agriculture. Our posts spotlight food justice heroes, such as Tanya Fields, or define food vocabulary, so that our followers will become more informed consumers. I found that many kids and young adults enjoyed our content, and Instagram was a perfect platform to connect with them. But what if we extended that work into schools? So we decided to launch another ambitious project: Partnering with elementary schools to teach agriculture education. With the new outreach strategies and connections we’d made, we received 6 responses from different schools in the Seattle area. I developed a presentation and virtual workshop curriculum, walking kids through the food system. After receiving a microgrant from United Way, we’ve been able to provide kids with at-home science kids so they can continue exploring the science of food and plants from home. The goal is for young kids to start thinking about where their food comes from and what role they play in the food system. By recruiting a team from my high school, I hope I can inspire years of ag and food education advocates. Through leadership opportunities and teamwork projects, I hope that students start exploring the multidisciplinary nature of food systems, from statistics to biology, policy, and beyond.

In a room far too big for a class size of 13 students, I remember reading my Environmental Science textbook. We were on the "foods" unit, learning about agriculture and the environment when I stumbled upon a picture of an aquaponics system. Curious, I searched up for information on my phone and was amazed by the process: above a fish tank there would be plants, the fish waste would feed the plants and help them grow, and in return the plants would naturally clean the water. It was a simple, yet effective cycle of nutrients. Going into the IB Program and studying both Biology and Design Technology at a higher level, I was surrounded by quick and clever peers. And as a girl, there was an unspeakable pressure to stay on top of your work. I suppose it was a way of showing successful "girls in STEM", but in a tumbling and exhausting manner. I loved the sciences, but I was constantly riddled with stress and anxiety. I had to find a way to break free. That's when I remembered aquaponics and the cycling of nutrients. Aquaponics, like many other sustainable agricultural methods, have proven that nature can be set up in many different ways—you just had to ensure all factors are benefiting from one another. Marinating on this thought for days on end, I figured out that if I wanted to see my school life become a collaborative environment where we could all benefit from each other, then I'd have to start with my mindset. I could still be successful in my classes while seeking help from my classmates and teachers. And so I found happiness in seeking help and having others rely on me, transforming my outlook on what it means to be a part of a community.

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” And for me, this couldn’t have been more true: Working the rescue horses helped me realize my passion for environmental leadership. In eighth grade, I got matched with a volunteer opportunity at a local horse sanctuary. I had never done anything related to animals or farm work, but I was curious and gave it a try. Even though my lack of agriculture experience made for a big learning curve, I was fascinated with the different tasks and was determined to one day be able to swing the hay hook as effortlessly as the others. And so I picked up extra volunteer shifts, spending most of my free time mucking, feeding, and grooming 4 brazen mares and 1 cheeky mini-donkey. As the small red barn became a more familiar sight, it became more apparent that this was what I wanted to do. I found that I wanted to continue to work in a farm setting, as I loved the hands-on work. But I wasn't quite sure what I could study to get that. Not until high school. When I was a sophomore and I took AP Environmental Science, I found that my most meaningful and engaging work was centered around the foods unit. Food has always played a critical role in my life. As an Indonesian immigrant, the familiar taste of “gorengan” kept me rooted in my identity. I was engrossed in how the different farming methods not only affected our food, but the environment, culture, economy, and the community. The nutrition and health aspect of food occurred to me when my dad’s health required “better foods.” At the time, that term meant alternative-brands from Whole Foods. But when the nearest store was 18 miles away, It exactly wasn’t the type of food I could imagine my family buying. My parents had both grown up in a country where food never came with nutritional distinctions. And a generation later, that lack of food literacy still remains. The whole situation was a cause of concern, something that threatened the health of my family, and others like us. I believe that the first step to a more equitable food system is education and exposure. With the help of a GripTape grant, I founded AgConnection as an effort to spread food and agriculture education in my community. We’ve created a website bridging students with local opportunities, educated youth through social media infographics, presented to elementary schools, and designed personal-impact projects for kids to do at home. The goal is to lessen the strain of food and agriculture-related issues and awaken a food-literate generation. Majoring in Environmental Science while exploring food systems at college allows me to investigate the intersection between our food system, nutrition, social justice, and law. I would be able to deeply investigate these issues by discussing them with my peers and gain insight on intersections between our perspectives, ideating more effective solutions. Getting the opportunity to present research and essays with faculty and the greater community helps raise awareness of the issues plaguing our communities, giving voice to the people of color within our food system.