Name: Sydney Weydemeyer
Hometown: Santa Fe, NM
College: Carleton College, Environmental Studies with a focus in Food and Agriculture
Fun fact: I can drive a tractor
Favorite quote: How we spend our days is how we spend our lives -Annie Dillard
What you did before AmeriCorps? I attended school at Carleton College and coached gymnastics.
Did your past work experience or schooling apply to your year of service? In some ways yes, I studied food and agriculture at Carleton. However, I had absolutely ZERO experience in public health, so CHC has opened many new doors.
Why did you choose to do AmeriCorps? I was really excited to work in changing the food system, and CHC gave me an avenue through which to pursue that. Also, I had never worked in public health before so I was excited to make connections between people health and environmental, esp agriculture, health.
What are you doing as an AmeriCorps member? I serve at Seven Generations Ahead were I teach garden and nutrition classes at schools. I also co-direct Truck Farm Chicago, an edible garden planted in the back of a pick up truck. We farmers take the truck to schools around Chicago and introduce kids to yummy plants, dirt, and cool farmers.
What are your plans after AmeriCorps, and how does your year of service apply to your future plans? I love being a farmer in the CHC so much that I plan on doing it again next year! After that, I'm going to move back to the West and get my Masters in Environmental Philosophy at University of Montana.
What is your favorite part of CHC, so far? I have loved getting to know all my fellow CHC members, I think we have a really awesome group.
Deep Thoughts from the Chicago Health Corps: If you could breed a hybrid animal of any two species, what two would you choose?
So this is not a hybrid animal, but how cool would it be to have a sentient cloud?!
