Urban Food Systems in Flint, Michigan: Identifying Leverage Points

Hometown: Lansing, MI

Advisor: Chuck Nelson

Growing up, I spent the majority of my waking hours playing in the great outdoors. Now as an adult, not much has changed. Whenever possible, you will find me outside, as that is the place where I feel most grounded and "at home." I have a deep appreciation for nature and all that it has to offer. It is this passion for the environment that led me to pursue an undergraduate degree from MSU in Sustainable Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with a focus in Environmental Science and Sustainability.

Over the course of my undergraduate career, I became very interested in the topics of sustainable tourism and natural resource management and planning. Particularly, I am very interested in integrating those topics with equine tourism, as that is where much of my personal and professional background lies. Ultimately, I want to work in natural resource management with a focus on equine trail usage.

In addition to being a full time graduate student, I am also a research assistant in the CSUS department. Currently, I am working on the Flint Leverage Points Project doing project evaluation. In my spare time, I love to horseback ride, hike, garden, cook, knit, travel, and spend time with my dogs.