Nutrition students and dietetics practitioners came together last month to consider diversity through a lens everyone can relate to – food.

Co-hosted by the Eastern Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (EIAND) and the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student Association (NSGSA), the event was planned and executed entirely by students in the University of Illinois’ dietetic internship program.

After a long 48-hour journey from Chicago to Freetown, I landed safely on the shores of my beloved homeland, Sierra Leone. I traveled all night from Freetown to Njala Campus, where I had a tough night due to the hot and humid weather. But at last, the journey ended joyfully.

Salam! My name is Sarah and during the spring semester I had the opportunity to complete research in Morocco thanks to the ACES Global Food Security grant. I was excited to conduct research in Rabat, Morocco, focused on improving food security in arid countries. My goals are further motivated by climate change, as it contributes to the creation of more extreme weather events and conditions.

The bridge of agricultural communications between the University of Illinois and prospective ACES students is expanding with The Morrow, a new online magazine publication completely student built from the ground up.

Eight other students and I signed up for this journey in hopes of learning more about our perspective careers and the world outside of the University of Illinois. With the guidance of our instructor, Jan Brooks, and her connections in South Africa, we all gained a unique experienced that will enhance our education and career performances in the future.