……..On September 6^th I packed my bags and flew to Brighton, England to begin my next chapter as a masters student at the University of Sussex…  As I approach 3 months of living in Brighton, I’ve been reflecting on my time here and my goals for the remaining 9 months of my M.A. in Food and Development and am excited to share some of these thoughts with my sponsor Rotary Club!...

 

 

As Ed Hauck can attest, deciding on a masters program was a difficult process for me.  Now, as I complete the first half of the Food and Development degree, it feels good to know that I’ve chosen the perfect program for me.   I feel extremely engaged with what I am learning and have had so many “aha!” moments while studying it’s hard to keep track.  The two courses I am taking this semester are Critical Debates in Development Theory and Food Politics Development with both the University of Sussex and the Institute for Development Studies.  While I initially feared that my Development Theory course might be dense and irrelevant to my career goals, this has actually become my favorite class.  I love the way Dr. Demet S. Dinler challenges us to engage with diverse theorists to imagine what a decolonized and equitable future of development could look like.  In Food Politics, we look more concretely at the various food issues affecting our modern world, from nutrition to agro-technology to food riots and popular mobilization.  It has expanded my mind to the diverse interdisciplinary ways that food affects our globalized world.

 

Outside of class I’ve begun volunteering with the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership where I assist chefs as they teach cooking classes to vulnerable groups in Brighton.  While it involves a lot of washing dishes, following several years of working on sustainable farms I really enjoy learning more about the other end of the food chain and how cooking is a key component to food justice.  I’ve also enjoyed spending time with my coursemates who come from all over the world as well as playing for the University of Sussex volleyball team.   Overall I can feel the roots of community beginning to grow and I am excited to see where the second semester takes me.

 

I hope all of you have a restful and healthy holiday season.  I look forward to staying in touch virtually!

 

Warm regards,

Norma Jean

 

Letter from Norma Jean Park submitted by

Becky Morgenthal

Past President, Rotary Club of Carlisle

Member, District Scholarship Global Grant Committee