Meet Sophia Smith
Major: Urban and Regional Studies, Environmental Policy and Management track with minors in both Political Theory & Law as well as Environmental Studies.
Graduation Date: Spring 2023
Internship Placement: Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD)
Sophia Smith worked as an intern with Cleveland Metropolitan School District's School Nutrition department. While working here, she explored new interests and broadened her skill set. Here's what she had to say about her experience:
How did you learn about the internship opportunity?
I learned about this opportunity through the urban internship emails! I was working at my first internship in Pittsburgh over the summer when I saw the email. I was super intrigued by the description, so I decided to go for it. In all honesty, I believed the opportunity was a bit of a reach with my current studies as it was with the School District's Nutrition Department. However, I am super passionate about food justice which is what drew me to this specific posting.
How long have you interned at CMSD for?
I have interned for just over four months and plan on being at CMSD until the end of the K-12 school year in May of 2023.
Tell us a little bit about the organization you interned at and specifically what you did there.
The School Nutrition Department handles a wide range of responsibilities. The team is relatively small, but they handle all of the meals that are fed to the scholars by creating recipes and approving menus. CMSD is a federally funded district because Cleveland is considered 100% economically disadvantaged, because of this there are strict guidelines for what the lunches consist of and there are high standards in terms of reporting. Our department is constantly looking for grants and additional programs that will benefit our scholars.
In my position, I spend a lot of time looking for grants and applying for them as well as planning programs the department could kickstart. The districts received a farm-to-school grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which is exciting for me to be a part of. In helping with the implementation of this grant, I have done a lot of budgeting and reaching out to businesses for quotes on any items the department needs for the schools. Currently, I am working on creating a map of the district displaying the schools as well as the food desert areas that are within it. Two projects that have been exciting for me to develop are a food waste and
composting program as well as a summer gardening program for the younger scholars. Some of the other tasks I am responsible for are designing promotional items for our staff and the social media pages. I have been trying to increase staff engagement and student participation, which has taken the form of decorating contests, nutrition trivia, and more. One of my favorite things about my position is how organic it has been. My team is always open to hearing my ideas and supporting any projects that will benefit the scholars, I have really been able to make what I want of the position.
What's one thing you learned about your internship site that you didn't know prior to working there?
Working at CMSD has been very eye-opening. The district is considered 100% economically disadvantaged, which is why all the meals are federally funded. Going into this position I had no idea how important these meals are for the children in the schools. Often the meals at school that we provide are their main source of nutrition.
What was your favorite project? Why?
My favorite project that I have been working on is by far the farm-to-school program. My main interest is food justice and security with a lot of my focus on local and even urban agriculture. The project School Nutrition is beginning to implement is a collection of fresh fruit and vegetable bars for scholars. These will all be sourced with local produce, which for me is exciting because not only do the scholars receive more nutritional food and learn about where their food is coming from but it's also more sustainable!
What surprised or challenged you?
The overall size and economic distribution of the district really surprised me. I was very fortunate growing up in a school district that had a plethora of opportunities for students. Navigating being within the schools and being empathetic towards the scholars is something that I am learning. The size of the district is a huge challenge as well. There are 86 schools, and we have hundreds of staff that serve the meals to the students. Having to stay organized has been a challenge, especially with how wide of a range my responsibilities include, my days always look different.
Why is an internship valuable?
In my experience at two internships, I learned so much. It is one thing to be sitting in a lecture course and another to be in the work force. Personally, I believe the latter has been more significant for my professional development. I believe my internships provided me with so much experience and knowledge that I would not have been able to get from a textbook. While I appreciate the courses I have been able to take at CSU, I have learned a lot from these and have had the opportunity to have great mentors, my internships have given me real-world experience that is entirely different from what any of my professors have discussed. Personally, I have loved being out in the field whether it was doing urban agriculture or working with the students and kitchen staff at CMSD.
What advice do you have for current interns or students who are searching for an internship?
I think the only advice I have is to apply to whatever you are interested in. I tried for a year applying to positions that I believed were in the realm of my major. Absolutely none of these attempts were successful. With both internships, one in urban agriculture and the other here with CMSD, I applied as a shot in the dark. I thought I was reaching for the positions. Even though I thought I wasn't entirely qualified, or the chances were slim, once I was hired, I instantly fell in love with the positions, which were jobs I never saw myself doing in college. Even going into both positions, they weren't what I had originally seen myself doing career-wise, but I have found a new passion and have steered my feature endeavors in a different direction.
What's next for you?
The goal for my future is to continue working in food justice. I do want to attend graduate school at some point for a Master's in food studies and agriculture; however, right now I want to gain hands-on experience and work at the grassroots level before diving into more textbooks