Personal Statement

I am interested in different populations' access to food. Growing up in Chicago, I gained a lot of experience volunteering in an urban setting. Throughout high school, I volunteered at a local food bank. We provided groceries to individuals in need in my community. Chicago is a place with great disparity from neighborhood to neighborhood. I explored this issue of disparity in my high school ethnic studies class. My classmates and I collaborated by sharing experiences across lines of difference, and created an event where we invited an administrator of Chicago Public Schools to discuss inequalities within the CPS system. Getting people together to discuss a problem gave students more transparency about the problems they faced, which helps in addressing the inequalities in the future. Neighborhoods throughout the city have different resources and parent's ability to supplement monetarily or with time contribute to disparity around the city. I also see disparities in Fulton. I am interested in improving issues of access because Fulton is a rural area with no public transportation, and few grocery stores. Going to school in a rural area has exposed me to the different opportunities individuals have for accessing food here compared to urban areas.