Jennifer Diaz

I am a senior pursuing degrees in Geography and Environment, Sustainability, Policy because of my passions in environmental justice and urban ecology in underserved communities. As a Bolivian-American, I have seen numerous ways in which the people in Bolivia are severely undervalued even in the scopes of Latin America. On an international level, I want to research and be a part of the systems that can make meaningful contributions and changes that serve underprivileged communities in a sustainable way. As an intern for Syracuse Community Geography, I worked with faculty to understand the processes involving urban agriculture and the role Syracuse Grows plays in food justice by helping with administrative duties such as organizing events and handling seed donations for community gardens. Throughout the semester, I have helped keep the nonprofit active and efficient in order to benefit community members that immensely depend on community gardens. Finally, I created a map using ArcGIS that shows the 31 member gardens and farms for a Syracuse Grows board meeting.