Willow is a 2020 MENV graduate who specialized in Sustainable Food Systems. She currently works in two part-time positions as both the Water and Equity Project Coordinator for the National Young Farmers Coalition and Frontline Farming, as well as the Equity and Food Policy Analyst for Jefferson County Department of Public Health. In this alumni spotlight article, Willow tells us about her professional background and her unique roles within multiple organizations, a well as shares her advice for current and future MENV students.
What is your academic and professional background?
Before coming to MENV, I worked primarily in community organizing, policy advocacy, and electoral campaigns. My undergraduate degree was focused on Public Health and History. After years of fighting hard to build public support for dozens of different campaigns as a community organizer, I realized I wanted to dedicate myself more specifically to environmental advocacy and land based environmental justice work. This drive to narrow my focus is what led me to MENV, and my passion for land based justice work naturally connected me with the Sustainable Food Systems specialization.
Where do you work and how would you describe your role?
I currently hold two positions—I serve as the Water and Equity Project Coordinator for the National Young Farmers Coalition and Frontline Farming and as the Equity and Food Policy Analyst for Jefferson County Department of Public Health. My Water and Equity Project Coordinator role involves creating support mechanisms and equity advocacy tools for water stakeholders, including decision makers, water users, activists, and citizens. In my position with Jefferson County, I am balancing multiple projects to increase racial equity and environmental justice through food policy. My main focus is analyzing the history of food access, environmental injustices, and housing policies in Jefferson County to help policy makers and advocates understand the impact of discriminatory practices on the food system. Though I am still looking for a more permanent position, I feel fortunate to be working in grant-funded consulting positions and pursuing the advocacy work that I feel is needed most to create a more resilient future—environmental justice through food systems.
How did you find your current positions? Could you speak about your job search process and how it went?
I am driven by environmental justice work, and I wanted to find ways to use my advocacy skills beyond my coursework and my capstone project. While working for a government agency for my capstone project was an incredible experience, my career goals are more focused on advocacy and building community power for environmental justice. As a part of a project for a class at MENV, I worked with the National Young Farmers Coalition and Frontline Farming to take my passion and knowledge about Colorado water and create work dedicated to water advocacy. After I graduated, I was sought by my advisors for that project to continue the water advocacy work as a paid consultant. Similarly, during MENV I spent some of my free time volunteering for Project Protect Food Systems, a coalition fighting for the rights of food system workers in Colorado. The relationships I formed within this group and some of the experience I gained led me to the position with Jefferson County. The application process for this position was more traditional, but I believe that my volunteer work helped me secure the position.
Were there any hard or soft skills you felt you lacked or wished you were stronger in when you started your career after graduate school?
Because my passions lie with food policy work, I wish I had made room for more policy classes during MENV. I specialized in Sustainable Food Systems, but I think it would have been valuable to take advantage of core courses in other specializations.
What is something people may not know about you?
My ultimate dream is to run a self-sustaining homestead where I grow all my own food and contribute to the local food community.
What advice would you give to current and/or future MENV students?
Give yourself room during your time at the program to take on extra projects and volunteer outside classes. Spread out your class schedule and you’ll more easily be able to get to know your professors, spend time with classmates, and connect with folks outside the program. Some of the best opportunities can be found as a result of making the effort to show up in a meaningful way. Find spaces to engage in the issues you care about and commit to making a difference. Making the conscious decision to spread out my class schedule allowed me to say “yes” to so many opportunities—and, just as importantly, gave me the space to take care of myself and spend time outside in the Colorado mountains. MENV can be a wonderful time to invest in yourself both professionally and personally.