Name: Hazel Moffatt (Iashmolkina)
Class Year: 2022
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Internship Organization: Food Moxie
Job Title: Summer Intern
Location: Philadelphia (remote from Indianapolis)
What’s happening at your internship?
At Food Moxie, I assist my supervisor, the executive director of FM, Lisa Mosca, with a variety of remote projects. The main thing I have been working on is the Farm to School program curriculum research. That program is a nation-wide initiative in which schools and other local institutions educate children on gardening, cooking, tasting, healthier eating, and local food resources to help them avoid food insecurity. The research I have been conducting includes both general takeaways from past programs, and trauma-sensitive and community-informed curriculum strategies that will help Food Moxie develop further programming. In July, I helped mentor several high school students in the program in asset mapping (identifying crucial food resources in their area) and skill share planning (creating a food resource themselves). I have also been looking for healthy, affordable recipes that involve seasonal crops to share with the program participants. Lastly, I have been analyzing and improving Food Moxie’s Philadelphia guides on local food resources (community gardens, farmer’s markets, emergency food providers). It is important to mention that all projects, information, and mentorship were delivered through a celebratory, positive lens, as opposed to a scarcity mindset model. Such an approach is believed to psychologically benefit program participants.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I had discovered Food Moxie through my Intro to Health Studies class where a speaker from the organization, Brandon, came to talk about the ways FM supports Philadelphians affected by food inequality. I have loved the cause and decided to challenge myself by working with them, since that type of work was so different than anything I have done before. This internship is a wonderful intersection of social work and public health service, two areas I am passionate about (especially considering that I am starting social work grad school in the fall and need some experience), so I believed that was a great fit.
What skills are you learning and why they are important to you?
Over the course of the summer, I have developed and improved a variety of skills. Like I had hoped, I have done lots of research on food resources, so my resource gathering and organizing skills have improved a lot. I have also been learning to address each person’s specific needs and tailor my approach accordingly towards each individual. Additionally, I get to practice being flexible and adaptive as our agenda can always change depending on the program outcomes. A skill I did not expect to apply and develop but have been is directly working with the program participants to support them in finding resources and planning next steps. I truly appreciate the experiences since all of these skills could benefit people I work with, and will be crucial in my further social work, care/case management and non-profit career.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
There are multiple aspects that are very rewarding for me at Food Moxie. The main one is knowing that everything I do, no matter how small, ultimately helps people that Food Moxie serves. That inspires me to keep going and improving my performance to increase my positive impact on the community. Another rewarding aspect is my relationship with my supervisor, Lisa Mosca. She has been incredibly supportive, patient, encouraging and helpful throughout the whole internship, and that made so much of a difference for my experience. Finally, I have enjoyed learning new things at the internship since that was my first close interaction with a public health nonprofit. That experience has definitely broadened my knowledge in multiple areas and enriched my academic and professional work.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.