CAREER PATHWAYS PROFILES
Learn about some of the previous participants in CEFS Career Pathways internship and apprenticeship programs.
Alexandra Veverka
Alexandra Veverka | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. Ramon Leon | Research topic: Weed Science
Click here to view the research poster.
“Going to a different farm or having an agricultural experience once a week not only encourages my passion for agriculture, but also an interest outside of what I specifically study.”
Kiara McKenzie Perry
Kiara McKenzie-Perry | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | Mentor: Dr. Mark Hoffman | Research topic: Small Fruits
Click here to view the research poster.
“I really wanted to get some research experience under my belt before I graduate from college. So in this opportunity came up and it was just so perfect, and it allowed me to get some real hands-on in the field experience, which I haven’t had before.”
Wills Franklin Brooks
Wills Franklin Brooks | University of Mount Olive | Mentor: Dr. Miguel Castillo | Research topic: Crabgrass Forage Production
Click here to view the research poster.
“With this internship, I really learned just how much the researchers commit to a very rigorous process to come to their conclusions, and there are a lot of variables to that. I just didn’t really fully realize the scope of what they’re looking into.”
Kayleigh Heather
Kayleigh Heather | Virginia Polytechnic Institute | Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Kulesza | Research topic: Impact of Cover Crop Type and Management on Efficacy of Urease Inhibitors
Click here to view the research poster.
“This internship is really giving me a foot in the door, and amazing contacts. But mainly this experience is exciting me for my future and everything that I want to do and realizing that there’s so much and I have not enough lifetimes.”
Katina Oxendine
Katina Oxendine | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Mentor: Dr. Ramon Leon | Research topic: Weed Science
Click here to view the research poster.
“This internship is wonderful. You get to meet all sorts of people from all sorts of places. You get to see all these different farms. You get to learn a lot. And I think it’s really, really important.”
Dakota Moore
Dakota Moore | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | Mentor: Dr. Alex Woodley | Research topic: Sustainable and Organic Soil Fertility
Click here to view the research poster.
“I chose this internship because I wanted to help my family farm getting to the modern day of farming. It’s helped me to get a lot more information on cover crops and other ways to help our farm sustain itself.”
McKenzie Cummings
McKenzie Cummings | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Ward | Research topic: Dairy Fly Control
Click here to view the research poster.
“This internship has been perfect for me and has opened my eyes to many other aspects and connections that is very, very valuable to me and will be extremely valuable in the future as far as my plans to move forward.”
Juhi Dattani
Juhi Dattani | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. Shuijin Hu | Research topic: Soil Health and Microbiology
Click here to view the research poster.
“I think it has really empowered me, being someone who doesn’t have a background in the agriculture or just in the food system, to really felt like I was connected to it.”
William Fleming
William Fleming | West Virginia University | Mentor: Dr. Alexandra Huerta | Research topic: Bacterial Plant Diseases
Click here to view the research poster.
“This internship supports my future career and education goals because it’s allowing me to decide exactly what I want to do when I graduate. I always knew that I wanted to pursue a master’s degree, but I wasn’t quite sure in what and if that was really exactly what I wanted to do. And doing research in a lab along with other Master’s master’s students and postdocs, it’s really giving me a general understanding of what my day to day life would be if I did decide to go get a Masters degree.”
Leah Guercio
Leah Guercio | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Mark Hoffmann and Kyle Freedman | Research topic: Improving grape transplants
“Being able to see the research side of things it’s been totally new for me. I don’t have any research experience, so I wanted to be able to have that opportunity to see how research plays into agroecology. I also appreciated having the professional development and being exposed to some more widespread agriculture and food system challenges that are going on in North Carolina.”
Aiden Fox
Aiden Fox | Duke University | Mentor: Ramon Leon, Gonzalez, and Sandy Ethridge, April Dobbs | Research topic: Use of cover crops for weed suppression
Click here to view the research poster.
“You can learn stuff in the textbook, but until you see it in real life, it’s not applicable, and being able to go into the field and see it, ask the questions, and be taught in the moment is really valuable”
Brooke Matusko
Brooke Matusko | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. Shuijin Hu and Christopher Gillespie | Research topic: Relationship between fungi colonization and nutrient ratios in Maize
Click here to view the research poster.
“With this internship, I really learned just how much the researchers commit to a very rigorous process to come to their conclusions, and there are a lot of variables to that. I just didn’t really fully realize the scope of what they’re looking into.”
Kate Pottle
Kate Pottle | Davidson College | Mentor: Benjamin Reading and Linnea Andersen | Research topic: Aquaculture breeding and domestication
Click here to view the research poster.
“Coming into this internship, I really didn’t know much about agriculture at all. And so my mentor has really taught me what our profession is in a broader sense, but also what they’re doing specifically. This internship has given me a good overview of the system as a whole, but also with the specific project and how it’s going to impact the systems nationally.”
Jarin Arline
Jarin Arline | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Hannah Burrack | Research topic: Pest Management in Blackberries and Impacts on Pollination
Click here to view the research poster.
“This is a really great opportunity for me to see the research side of farming and extension while working with farmers, going around the state and seeing what different farm practices are.”
Maria DiGiovanni
Maria DiGiovanni | Cornell University | Mentor: Michael Schulman and Andrew Smolski | Research topic: Adaptation and Resilience in Niche Meat
Click here to view the research poster.
“With this internship you can really go from the beginning to the end of the research process. For instance, how to code a qualitative interview and identify themes and patterns within qualitative data, which is something that I haven’t really been exposed to before.”
Abigail Zorrilla
Abigail Lourdes Zorrilla | Mentor: Alex Woodley | Research topic:
Characterizing Spatial Heterogeneity of Soil Health Metrics Across Diverse Farming Systems Click here to view the research poster.
Sinday Blair
Sydney Erin Blair | Mentor: Amanda Cardoso and Matt Taggart | Research topic: Characterizing Water Uptake and Transport in crops Cultivated with Biofertilizer
Click here to view the research poster.
Tommy Godwin
Joseph Thomas Godwin | Mentor: David Suchoff and Ashlee George | Research topic: Analyzing effectiveness of roller crimping and cover crop mulches to suppress weeds in Fiber Hemp
Click here to view the research poster.
Aivry Coleman
Aivry Olivia Coleman | Mentor: Angela Allen | Research topic: Initial Study of a Trash Trout’s Impact on Water Quality
Click here to view the research poster.
Larry McCallum
Larry Lee McCallum Jr. | Mentor: Mallory Choudoir and Madaris Serrano Perez | Research topic: Rhizobia Trait Variation Offers Insights into Plant- Microbe Symbiosis in Agroecosystems
Click here to view the research poster.
Gisele White
Gisele Lee White | Mentor: Ramon Leon and April Dobbs | Research topic:
Comparing the Efficiency of Aerial RGB v.s Multispectral Imaging in Differentiating Weeds from Corn
Click here to view the research poster.
“With this internship you can really go from the beginning to the end of the research process. For instance, how to code a qualitative interview and identify themes and patterns within qualitative data, which is something that I haven’t really been exposed to before.”
Brian Ranterapa Marks
Brian Ranterapa Marks | Mentor: Anders Huseth and Emma Schoeppner | Research topic: Habitat Risk Assessment for M. Communis (Corn Wireworm)
Click here to view the research poster.
Evelyn Margarete Fahlen
Evelyn Margarete Fahlen | Mentor: Hannah Levenson | Research topic:
Potential for Biological Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila Using Adventive ParasitoidsClick here to view the research poster.
Audrey Williams
Audrey Williams | UC Berkley | Mentor: Alex Woodley and Henrique Da Ros Carvalho | Research topic: The potential for using Kelp to amend soil, provide plant nutrients, and mitigate leaching
Click here to view the research poster.
Brittani Meis
Brittani Meis | Colorado State University | Mentor: Stephanie Kulesza and Steven Miller | Research topic: Poultry Litter Impacts Germination and Increases Abnormal Radicles
Click here to view the research poster.
Cassandra Helms
Cassandra Helms | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Mentor: David Suchoff and China Halker | Research topic: No-till weed management in fiber hemp
Click here to view the research poster.
Howard Jacobs
Howard Jacobs | North Carolina State University Genera | Mentor: Alejandra Huerta and Katherine D’Amico-Willman | Research topic: Exploring alternative treatments for peaches against bacterial pathogens
Click here to view the research poster.
Joshua Lopez
Joshua Lopez | University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus | Mentor: Stephanie Ward and Rose Marie Chunn | Research topic: Understanding the impact of heat stress on dairy cattle
Click here to view the research poster.
Mark Almazo Rosendo
Mark Almazo Rosendo | Robeson Community College | Mentor: Alejandra Huerta and Katherine D’Amico-Willman | Research topic: Exploring alternative treatments for peaches against bacterial pathogens
Click here to view the research poster.
Mika'el Chabeda
Mika’el Chabeda | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Jim Holland and Eric Butoto | Research topic: The Effect of Selecting for Early Flowering on Tassel Length in Tropical Maize
Click here to view the research poster.
Shachar Berkowitz-Regosin
Shachar Berkowitz-Regosin | Barnard College | Mentor: Dr. Kathryn Boys | Research topic: Food Safety and Supply Chain Economics
Click here to view the research poster.
Abel Locklear
Abel Locklear | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. David Suchoff | Research topic: Cover Crops
Click here to view the research poster.
Joe Pellegrino
Joe Pellegrino | North Carolina State University | Mentor: Dr. Francesco Tiezzi | Research topic: Farmer Welfare during COVID-19
Click here to view the research poster.
Roxanne Reyes
Roxanne Reyes | Cornell University | Mentor: Dr. Alexandra Huerta | Research topic: Bacterial Plant Diseases
Click here to view the research poster.
Reva Kodre
Reva Kodre
Hometown: Chantilly, VA
University: UNC Chapel-Hill (Nutrition)
Host site: People for Equity
Virginian-turned-Tar Heel Reva Kodre (she/her) will be joining People for Equity in Durham – a perfect match for her food science and policy passions. A fourth year student studying nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill, Reva is on a pre-med track and has been bolstering her experience working in an immunology lab and as a part-time Orange County EMT. She anticipates putting this knowledge and experience to work, as well as learning more about food systems and policies. At People for Equity, she will research policies around local food and health equity work, guide the work of the Youth Food Council, and engage in community outreach.
In her free time, Reva loves to read, play tennis, travel, and try new foods. She is particularly looking forward to doing the latter two during her gap year in Spain upon graduation.
Hope Ostane-Baucom
Hope Ostane-Baucom
Hometown: Miami, FL
University: Mitchell Community College (Agribusiness Tech)
Host site: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council
Miami-raised Hope Ostane-Baucom is passionate about a lot of things; food freedom, pollinators, plants, and agriculture are just the tip of the iceberg. Her enthusiasm led her first to the vice presidency of the Mitchell Community College Agriculture Club – where she majors in Agribusiness Technology – and now to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council (CMFPC). Hope’s desire to explore marketing methods for increasing farmer, community, and environmental outcomes will serve her well as she works with CMFPC to establish a social media presence for local farms and coordinate farmer outreach initiatives.
Despite her busy schedule, Hope still makes time for cultivating her backyard garden and volunteering at local schools and community centers.
Sarah Beck
Hometown: Pittsboro, NC
University: UNC Chapel-Hill (Political Science & Environmental Justice)
Host site: N.C. Cooperative Extension – Lee County
Recently returned from studying abroad in Scotland, UNC Chapel-Hill senior Sarah Beck will be partnering with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Lee County Center to help foster flourishing local food systems in the county. Sarah’s study of Political Science, Environmental Justice, and Spanish are fundamental to her interest in food justice, health equity, and local food systems, and she is excited to get hands-on experience through this internship. Specifically, Sarah is looking forward to learning more about health equity work as she works with the county Local Foods agent to lead the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace (SAM) project.
In between classes and study sessions, you can find her cooking and practicing with her fellow a capella enthusiasts in the Tar Heel Voices.
D’Ante Grovner
“During this internship I got the chance to meet with local food organizations all over North Carolina and to see how the work we’re doing individually connects towards our common goals.”
Rachael Manasseh
“This internship was a great way to learn about the North Carolina food system, in a more hands on approach. I’ve learned that communication and collaboration is essential […] to foster connections with people in the community.”
Pallavi Patil
“I got to sit in on board meetings, and learned how a nonprofit works. And I actually took a nonprofits course last semester, so it’s interesting to see how that all played out in real life. ”
Callia Cox
“This internship pretty much told me that I love food system work and I want to continue this work. And if anything, I’ve learned to prioritize centering communities. I think a Food Policy Council is a great way to do that. So like we should prioritize centering the communities and those affected in the conversation. ”
Lindsey La Sasso
“Something that I’ve really enjoyed is seeing all aspects of the food system, which this internship has really opened my eyes to. It’s wonderful seeing from a producer’s perspective, or the ways to allow people to have access to fresh food that they may not otherwise have access to.”
Noah Ashenafi
“I learned how to turn our research interests into an impactful project. I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to pursue a research that wasn’t solely biomedical in focus, but one that focused more on community building.”
Emerald Ifunanya Izuakor
Emerald Ifunanya Izuakor
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
University: UNC-Chapel Hill (Nutrition)
Host site: Just Foods Collaborative
Emerald Izuakor (she/her) has been passionate about food and nutrition from a young age, so it’s little wonder that she found herself studying Nutrition – as well as Hispanic Linguistics – at UNC-Chapel Hill. Emerald is particularly interested in the intersection of food, culture, nutrition, medicine, and agriculture, which perfectly suits her talents for food writing and storytelling. She looks forward to furthering these skills during her partnership with Just Foods Collaborative, where she will work to conduct outreach to local farms, chronicle the organization’s mission, and recruit new stakeholders into the collaborative.
When not engaged in her studies, Emerald can be found reading, playing tennis, traveling, and exploring nature (especially when muscadine grapes are in season)!
Minerva Martinez
Minerva Martinez
Hometown: Wilmington, NC
University: UNC-Pembroke (Biology & Spanish)
Host site: A Better Chance, A Better Community
UNC-Pembroke senior Minerva Martinez (she/her) will be uniting with A Better Chance, A Better Community (ABC2) to strengthen community bonds and local food systems in Halifax County. During the school year, she will be balancing her internship with her studies in Biology and Spanish, with which she hopes to launch a career in surgery. Minerva is excited to support ABC2’s youth programs and help create a novel northeast NC food work database, and we’re equally excited to see the results!
In addition to being a NC certified EMT, Minerva is an enthusiastic traveler and animal lover, and frequently dotes on her 3 cats and betta fish.
Sophia Norris
Sophia Norris
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
University: Western Carolina University (Environmental Science)
Host site: WNC Farm to Table
Originally hailing from Raleigh, Sophia Norris (she/her) now lives in the mountains, where she studies Environmental Science at Western Carolina University. Fortunately, she won’t have to travel far to reach WNC Farm to Table – a local food organization also based in Jackson County. Sophia is most excited to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of community-based organizations and engage in community outreach efforts – a passion that will help her fit right in at WNC Farm to Table.
When not busy with schoolwork, Sophia is an avid artist, traveler, hiker, and budding acrobat (try to beat her 3-minute headstand record).
Preina Prashant Surti
Preina Prashant Surti
Hometown: Cary, NC
University: UNC-Chapel Hill (Nutrition)
Host site: Fertile Ground Food Cooperative
As a Wake County native, it’s particularly fitting that Preina Surti (she/her) will be partnering with the Raleigh-based Fertile Ground Food Cooperative. Preina has deep roots in her southeastern Raleigh community, where she learned about food equity work through local organizations. These experiences led her to her interest in public health, which informed her decision to major in Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon graduating next spring, Preina plans to continue her nutrition education and become a registered dietitian so she can continue to explore nutrition policy and engage with communities through outreach. She enjoys working at the intersection of nutrition education and community advocacy, which makes her the perfect fit for Fertile Ground Food Cooperative’s mission of fostering a food-centered community gathering space.
When not engaged in her studies, Preina volunteers with the Carolina Hunger Initiative, runs, and bakes increasingly ambitious desserts.
<center>Alice Lu</center>
Alice Lu was based at the Sandhills AGInnovation Center in Scotland County. Alice focused on promotion and marketing for the SandhillsAGInnovation Center, including a revamp of their website. Alice also supported their social media plans, created and promoted online farmer profiles, and helped pack CSA-style boxes that were distributed to local community members. After the internship, Alice is working on completing a Master of Public Health degree at UNC Chapel Hill.
“I’ve always been interested in learning more about agriculture and the local food supply chain system and I’d never had a lot of experience in it before. This was a very cool opportunity to learn about how communities can build this local food supply chain that can build healthier communities”
Tim Burke
Tim Burke interned at Foothills Food Hub in McDowell County after graduating from N.C. A&T with a master’s degree in agricultural education. Tim supported relationship building between the Foothills Food Hub, NC Farmers of the Foothills, and the McDowell Senior Center. He helped plan, pack, and coordinate logistics for CSA-style boxes distributed to community members and supported data collection on senior food service requirements and procurement to identify potential local food products. Currently, Tim is volunteering at the food hub, working on farm infrastructure projects on his family farm, and managing the Airbnb located onsite.
“With local food, the estimate is that if you buy local food, 90 cents on the dollar stays in the county. If you buy food from outside the county, 10 cents stays in the county. So, the senior center has a real need. They would love to see more local purchasing through them and through anybody else in the county,”
Enoch Sarku
Enoch Sarku was hosted by Working Landscapes, a nonprofit rural development organization based in Warren County. Enoch developed an effective cash flow analysis to help reduce costs while scaling production, a tool to help analyze new recipe additions, and a labor cost distribution chart. In Enoch’s words, “my experience was priceless, adding costing to my skills.” Post internship, Enoch is continuing to work towards a Ph.D. in computational science and engineering at N.C. A&T.
“You come in as an intern and you go out as a professional. You learn all these different skills and you have fun! I’m learning more and gaining insight in things I didn’t know before.”
Charlie Robinette
Charlie Robinette interned at Foothills Food Hub in McDowell County, acting as a liaison between the food hub, McDowell County Senior Center, and local farmers. Charlie supported the initial deliveries of local food from the food hub to the senior center, and communicated regularly with the senior center to plan upcoming orders. In addition to supporting Farm to Senior Services, Charlie also managed the Farmer of the Foothills community supported agriculture program. After the internship, Charlie is pursuing a career in England.
Benjamin Meyers
Benjamin Meyers was based at the Sandhills AGInnovation Center (SAIC). Benjamin took part in hands-on packing of local produce at SAIC, including food distributed to seniors in Scotland County and neighboring counties. In addition, Benjamin led nutrition education courses for seniors in the Sandhills and connected with them through conversation and storytelling. Benjamin also supported Farm to Senior Services by researching farm to institution initiatives to increase CEFS’ knowledge base of programs across the country. After the internship, Benjamin is finishing his degree in nutrition at North Carolina Central University.
Carolina DiGrande
"I knew that a passion of mine is sustainable food production, equitable community development, and things along that path, so I thought this would be such a great role for me."
Erali Miller
"I think it's important to realize our successes in that there are so many child care centers with gardens and it's important for the state to get local foods into these child care centers by working with universities and the local partnerships"
Angelina Hohls
Angelina is a Master of Public Health Student at UNC Chapel Hill, with a focus in Nutrition, Food Systems, and Health Policy. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University, with a minor in Agricultural Business Management. She is especially passionate about making healthy food more accessible for children and families, and loves learning how schools bring food, movement, and learning together in creative ways.
Emily Ecker
Emily Ecker
I am a senior at Elon University studying public health and international & global studies. Outside of academics, I am a student researcher and volunteer at the Morrowtown community garden in Burlington, North Carolina, where I support garden maintenance and lead a weekly youth food sovereignty garden program called Rooted Together.
After graduation, I plan on pursuing a master’s degree in public health, focusing on food systems and food security. I’m excited to learn more about developing and implementing sustainable food systems through community-engaged research and service.
In my free time, I love cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends. My new favorite recipe I learned during this internship is how to make strawberry, mango, jalapeno pepper salsa!
Erica Wallace
Erica Wallace
I am a recent grad from NC State University where I studied horticulture, managed a student community garden club, and worked part-time in public horticulture.
I am passionate about connecting our community to horticulture, gardening, and environmental stewardship through education and hands-on experiences. I look forward to a career empowering others to live healthier and happier lives.
When I am not gardening or working, I enjoy photography, going to the beach, and seeing friends.
Mary Kay Toothman
As a grad student at NC State pursuing a Masters in Horticulture Science, I hope to help motivate children to explore the natural world and to help give their caretakers the tools they need to do the same. My experience with children includes teaching in an infant to 8th-grade private school and volunteering in extra-curricular community garden settings. I have a passion for horticulture; my home garden is a joyful mess of botanical experiments designed to attract family and friends to come outside and find something new and fascinating.
My eight children, ages 4 to 26, help me bridge the outdoors daily with a child’s eye. We like to try foods we grow in the garden together.
Christine Best
“One of the best parts of the apprenticeship is that we have a good mix of people that are growing different things”
Darius McKoy
“After the apprenticeship with CEFS we’re looking to start our own farm. We’ve recently purchased the farm, a 38 acre farm, with the utimate goal of providing our community with a healthy lifestyle.”
EJ Sutton
Temika Parker
Lauren Welsh
“I really thought I wanted to do something in the food system world, maybe the nonprofit side. But this apprenticeship has made me realize I want to do something more hands on and hopefully continue working on a farm. And just the apprenticeship has helped me realize that because I’ve gotten so much hands on experience.”