Growing up in Philadelphia before moving to attend college in Boston, I’ve always been a city dweller. While many of my classmates freshman year struggled to navigate subway maps and bus schedules as they made the move from the suburbs, I was more than accustomed to being surrounded by skyscrapers and sirens. But as much as I love the hustle of the big city, I’ve also always loved the outdoors and taken the time to appreciate what each setting has to offer. From my grandparents’ house by the river in the woods to the sprawling countryside areas as close as half an hour from my house; I really think that I had a chance to experience everything Pennsylvania had to offer. When it came time to apply to college, I knew I wanted to live and experience somewhere new, and Boston seemed like the perfect fit.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer. The proof can be found in the “books” I wrote as a preschooler — stories about animals written and illustrated in magic marker and stapled together unevenly. My family still has these neatly organized by title and loves to show them off when my friends are around. From early on, I decided that I wanted to use my skills for journalism and only changed my mind once at about the age of 12 when I got my first guitar and decided that I’d try to become a rock star. While that stint was short lived, I still enjoy playing music for my dog and myself in the privacy of my own home. When my senior year of high school came around, I started looking for colleges that placed an emphasis on journalism and would give me real world experience in my field. With those two things in mind, Northeastern was a stand out choice and I didn’t hesitate to apply.
Looking for the perfect co-op wasn’t so different from searching for the perfect college. After reviewing hundreds of job listings in my field and narrowing my search down to about ten, I sent out my resume and anxiously waited for some calls. Not knowing exactly where I would fit in best, I had applied to PR firms, newspapers and non-profits. In the end, the offer from Farm Aid seemed like the perfect chance to combine my love of writing and music and pick up some new skills.
Aside from trips to farmers’ market with my parents and the time I spent as a cashier in an organic grocery store during high school, I don’t know very much about food. Sure, I can rattle off the produce codes for any odd vegetable you could imagine, but I’d have no idea how it got to the store or how to cook it. As I’m gaining the responsibility of buying and cooking my own food, I’m beginning to understand how important the origin of what I eat is and what the implications of my choices are on myself and the producers of the food. I’m sure that working at Farm Aid will increase my elementary knowledge and I hope to not only leave my co-op here with career skills, but also with more information that can help me in the personal aspects of my life.
I’m looking forward to starting my first co-op and finally getting to use some of the things I’ve learned as a student in the real world.
