NATALIE CASSIDY
Sustainable Food Systems Advocate
Immersive Experiences
My experiences, both internationally and within the United States, with food justice is something that has continuously inspired me to challenge and reevaluate my perspectives and have also provided me with a unique perspective on how injustices in the food system extend to a global scale. Though my passion regarding solutions to food security issues motivates me, I also realize the deep cultural, political, and environmental complexities involved in the field. My work in diverse environments has taught me about the importance of promoting positive change in the food system while honoring local culture, history, and society.
My extensive and immersive international experiences have greatly influenced the way I will work in this field. From experiencing food systems in action in a variety of contexts and cultures, I have learned about promoting positive change in local food systems while honoring local culture, establishments, and society. These international experiences have vastly changed my perspectives on “one size fits all” solutions, and I have truly come to understand the need to understand and honor the needs of each community. Not only have I myself learned to adapt to different environments, my extensive experience abroad has also taught me how to adopt an open mind in new situations. This quality will aid me in my career as a sustainable food systems advocate as I must quickly adapt and learn about the communities and organizations in which I am working to better understand the context of my work, while also keeping in mind the diversity each community holds and resisting assumptions.
Learn more about my year studying abroad in Argentina, and some of my reflections from my classes there!
In 2015, I spent my summer as a Permaculture Design and Agroforestry intern at the Jama Coaque Reserve in Camarones, Ecuador! Learn about my time living off-grid in the central coast of Ecuador, learning how to create self-sufficient, productive landscapes!
During my first year at Dickinson, I attended a service trip to Belize to assist with a school gardening program in a rural community. During my sophomore, I was selected for the opportunity to lead another group of students on that same trip. Learn about my participation in and leadership of an international service trip to Belize, for which we supported Belize's School Garden Initiative.
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After high school, I participated in a gap year program that took her to Panama, Costa Rica, and Peru, studying sustainable agriculture and community development. This experience confirmed my interests in studying sustainable food systems, especially the impacts of a globalized food system in Latin America. Learn more here!
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I was 12 years old the first time my understanding of the world and poverty were strongly challenged during a service trip to a rural part of southwest Guatemala. Learn more about that trip and its impact here!