Now, standing at the end of two of the most formative years of my life, I feel nothing but gratitude for the experiences, people, and communities that I have learned from. This is a distillation of the most important lessons and reflection I’ll carry forward, and what I hope the next Fellows can hold on to.
Lean on Your Fellow Fellows
The last two years have taken me to 11 different states across two regions where I have arranged 31 visits to college campuses. After hosting over 200 events and engaging with over 13,000 students, I think I have a much better understanding of the Fellowship than I did two years ago. My friends and family still don’t really understand what I do, but honestly, only other Fellows will ever really know what that life feels like.
My first piece of advice is to lean on each other. You will have two counterparts to share in your highs, lows, lessons learned, and funny, frustrating, and ridiculous stories. Help each other navigate all the responsibilities of the Fellowship, and the experience will be even more rewarding.
Find Your Mentors
I have found mentors in every corner of the Fellowship, Bon Appétiters and beyond. From a sous chef in Indiana who shared his passion for pickles with me (I now pickle red onions every week at home), to a sustainability coordinator in Texas who I bonded with over our shared love of biochar and agroforestry, a mentor has found me on nearly every trip I’ve taken.
From students in Illinois sharing traditional ingredients and techniques with me during food literacy events, to the front of house manager in Tennessee who embodied patience and joy during even the most chaotic days, there are people throughout the company who will teach you more about Bon Appétit than a job description ever could.
Lay Solid Foundations, then Build
My first year of travel, everything and everyone was unfamiliar. It was hard to adjust to new places every other week. But throughout that first year, I found my groove, built lasting relationships, and in the second year, started to see the full arc of the work.
At Knox College in Galesburg, IL, for example, I helped the dining team enroll a new Farm to Fork vendor in year one. In year two, I hosted that vendor on campus for a tasting (vegan ice cream – yum!). It was so rewarding to create these full circle moments that made the Fellowship feel even more meaningful.
So my advice is to adapt to these new environments, learn all you can, soak in those unique flavors of each place, and come back with a plan catered to those campuses, whether it’s a familiar event that every student loved, or organizing something new that you dreamed up in year one.
Be the Connector
My favorite parts of this job were all the ways I got to be a connector, in every direction. Did an executive chef reach out with a question about their Farm to Fork score? Good thing I know the forager for the region who’s always ready to help. Is a student curious about how plate waste is tracked and recorded at other schools? Let me email that general manager I know who has a great track record with Waste Not. It’s exciting how quickly these connections can happen. These are moments that don’t always make the recap email or end-of-semester report, but they’re the moments I felt the most fulfilled. So, keep your eyes open, stay curious about the people around you, and trust that you are building a network that will outlast your time in any one place.
Tell the Story
One of our most important responsibilities as Fellows is storytelling: the story of Bon Appetit, our own food journeys, and the compelling stories we pick up from each campus. The most impactful stories are from the people and communities that have experienced our work, especially those of our Farm to Fork vendors.
I have heard versions of the same story repeatedly: Bon Appetit is our largest client. Bon Appetit was the only reason we survived COVID. Bon Appetit was our first institutional buyer and helped jumpstart the growth of our business. These stories give me purpose. The events and education are important, but the stories show how we build relationships, and those relationships change people’s livelihoods, and their lives.
These are the stories to share with students who don’t know where their food comes from and even to yourself, on the days when you’re tired. The impact is real and tangible.
During my time as the Central Fellow, I have been impressed by the diversity of the regions I cover and the complexity of their food systems. I have fallen even more in love with my Midwestern home, and the communities that have welcomed me for the past two years. I am beyond grateful that I get to keep going as regional food education coordinator for the Central Region. Thank you to all those who have supported me throughout these last two years.
