Tell us about your background and why you chose UW?

I am Afro-Peruvian, born in Peru and raised in Seattle. While my parents were getting their PhDs in Anthropology and Ethnomusicology at UW, they were simultaneously raising my older brother, my younger sibling, and me. I grew up in a diverse community consisting of musicians, dancers, artists, performers, activists, and much more. Where I thought I was going to study music based on my background in the performing arts, I ended up developing an interest in nutrition and psychology. Along the way I learned to appreciate the way the arts and humanities brought diverse communities to coexist. Because of this, I knew I wanted to go to school on a large college campus where I could cultivate my community. UW was my top choice because I have a familial history with it, it was close to home, and I knew that somewhere in its large and diverse student population, I would get to meet the wonderful community and people who I now get to call my best friends.

What influenced you to choose Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health (FSNH) as a major?

I was actually considering transferring to culinary school in my early years of university. At the time, working in the culinary industry was the only thing that made sense to me and I had no idea what I wanted to major in. What I eventually realized was that I actually wanted to study something that extended past the culinary arts and went more in-depth on how food and people intersect. I heard about FSNH through some friends who had graduated from the program back when it first launched and I decided to check it out. The coursework for the major offered a great set of classes that I felt would eventually help me develop a strong foundation for a multitude of disciplines.

What are you working on right now, or are looking forward to in the coming year of your program? 

I have a few projects in the works!

I am honored to be employed as the student resources coordinator for the FSNH program. In this role, I create the weekly newsletter that goes out to Food Systems majors, attend tabling events like advising fairs, and support advising staff in putting on events for students. Eventually I hope to offer student advising.

In this role, I am currently in the process of starting a Food Systems Leadership Council/Coalition.  I have been working on bringing together student leaders and members from as many food-related registered student organizations (RSOs) and clubs that I could find across UW. The goal is to get everyone to come together and create collaborative events that address issues in our food system. The Council is also focusing on spreading awareness on the importance of nutrition and practicing sustainability. 

I have been working on an independent undergraduate research project with my mentor Dr. Cristen Harris which explores how eating behaviors and the mental wellbeing of undergraduate students respond to nutritional education. I’m also doing qualitative coding work for a graduate student’s thesis in the Master of Science degree program and Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics, and I serve as a lead food recovery volunteer at the UW Food Pantry, and I’m on the School of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Council for Students.

Outside of classes, I sing in the UW Glee Club and the UW Gospel Choir. I also play drums in a band called Maybe Even! Check us out on Instagram and all streaming music platforms.

What has been the most compelling thing you’ve learned so far in the program?

Anything to do with the community or societal aspect of the field of food systems has been my favorite thing to learn about in the program. I had the privilege of going on the La Dolce Vita study abroad program in Italy last year with Dr. Jennifer Otten and Alan Ismach where we learned about regional food of Italy and its incredible food system! It was fascinating to observe the differences of how Italian communities interact and respond to their food system versus how we do so in the United States. I have also enjoyed talking with professors and exploring how interdisciplinary the field of food systems is. There are so many different routes and career pathways that one can go down. 

How do you envision applying what you’ve learned in the program after your graduate?

The systems thinking framework I’ve learned about is probably one of the most important skills that I will absolutely be applying into whatever I go on to do in the future. Being able to see the big picture as well as the individual parts of any system, project, or just anything, is going to be super useful for problem solving and being able to work in cohesion with others.

What are your future goals?

Like most people, I am not 100% sure yet! I plan to spend a year in Peru after graduation to reunite with my family, learn how to cook and bake some good food, maybe learn how to dance, and tune more into my Peruvian side. After that I want to find a career path that explores the intersection between behavioral and societal psychology and nutrition. One day I hope to be a professor and do research on how eating and food impacts behavior on an individual level and on the macro-social level. I also want to create preventative eating disorder programs that focus on farming/gardening and cooking as a form of therapy. If I had extra time, I would love to be a barista again or do some bartending on the side.

What do you like to do for fun?

If I am not working on my projects you can usually find me spending time with my friends! I love going out to eat, going on random adventures, and listening to others yap about their lives. I also like to read, listen to new music, go to concerts, workout, bake, play video games, and practice piano and/or drums from time to time.

Share a fun fact about yourself.

The first time I ever performed on stage was when I was 7 years old!

What do you enjoy most about living in Seattle?

Although I have lived my whole life in Seattle, I feel like there is still so much I have yet to explore! It is such a large city that always has something going on so it is nice to know that if I searched enough, I could probably find an event to go to on any day. I also recently recognized how nice it is to just casually have a gorgeous view of the mountains at all times of the year.

What advice would you give someone considering the Food Systems major?

Talk to people. It doesn’t matter who. It could be your peers, your professors, your advisers, people outside the program, anyone. Use that to your advantage. Your professors and advisors are incredibly kind and are there to support you! Make as many connections as you can because that will be so useful in your future. 

If you have the opportunity, take on extracurriculars or another major or minor.  Find an avenue that makes you more connected with your personal interests. The more things you try, the more you will discover what you like and what you don’t like.