Jasmine LaMotte, E26, Pursues Food Justice with Internship Funding Support

Amidst the roots and soil of a budding community garden in Brockton, MA, Jasmine LaMotte, E26, is face-to-face with the complexities of providing fresh, healthy, and accessible food to marginalized communities.

Jasmine is completing a research internship at Stonehill College synthesizing research focused on food justice, particularly food security and sustainability in underserved communities of color. Accompanying this research, Jasmine had the opportunity to be one of the main builders of a community garden at the Brockton Interfaith Center. There, Jasmine worked with the BIC youth groups and local food justice leaders in starting a community garden that they hope will provide fruits and vegetables to residents of Brockton and bring the community together in the process.

“Working at the garden was an enlightening experience because I collaborated with people who are extremely passionate about fighting for food justice and being involved in their communities,” Jasmine said about this experience, “After doing an extensive amount of research, I now understand the importance of representation and involvement of underrepresented communities in their food system to ensure that their needs are addressed. I look forward to learning more about the fight for food justice, as well as continuing to help out at the BIC community garden and using my Environmental Engineering degree to contribute to this cause in the future.”

Jasmine’s internship is funded by the Office of Sustainability’s Sustainability Exploration Grant. This annual grant provides funding for unpaid summer internships in the sustainability field with the goal of expanding the accessibility of this field for undergraduate students.