I currently serve as the Lead Operations Intern for the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office, where I’ve been working for about 2 years. This past summer, I managed many projects for the Sustainability Office, but by far, my favorite project to work on was the Campus Garden. Our garden produces a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that we donate to food pantries on campus and throughout the Whitewater community. This summer, our team of interns and volunteers harvested and donated 2,786 pounds of produce, which set a new production record for our garden. 

The Campus Garden project has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. I saw these plants grow from seed, to their peak harvest, to fall when everything dies off. Growing a garden is full of challenges to overcome, failures and lessons learned, and eventually some very sweet successes. It has been inspiring to not only watch the garden transform, but also the community around it. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with so many friendly faces in the garden and together we create an inclusive space where everyone can grow and learn.

It is an honor for the UW-Whitewater Campus Garden to receive the 2024 Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents Diversity Award in the Program category. It represents the hard work of students and staff since its beginning in 2013. Year after year, the Campus Garden community comes together and gets their hands dirty to grow food for the community. I am proud and humbled to have been a part of the campus garden and encourage my fellow students to find opportunities like this to learn new skills while giving back to the community in a tangible way. The Campus Garden project, along with our related activities in Upham Greenhouse, welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds and skill levels to join us and learn some new skills.