UT Extension agent inspires healthy lifestyle choices through education and community connections
Where are you from, and how has your career led you to UTIA?
I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. My passion for nutrition and service led me to working in school nutrition, then community nutrition. While working at a food pantry, I met my current Family and Consumer Sciences coworker, Ebony. She would come to my job to prepare food demonstrations for the clients, and that’s how I learned about UT-TSU Extension.
What is your role within Extension and what do you do on a typical day?
I am currently a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent who supervises and trains program assistants in the Western Region. No two days are the same. Some days I am finding new sites and creating new partnerships for Shelby County FCS. Other days I am communicating, guiding and planning educational trainings for program assistants, as well as teaching my own nutrition classes in the community.
What is your favorite thing about working in Family and Consumer Sciences?
I love working within the community, which gives me the opportunity to connect with new people. I also enjoy the family environment that we’ve created within the office.
What has been your proudest moment while working at UTIA?
At the 2023 Tennessee Extension FCS Conference, the Shelby County FCS Team won 2nd place in the Innovative Youth Development Program Award.
What is the best Real. Life. Solution. you have helped provide to your community?
I really enjoy teaching kids about eating healthy and introducing new fruits and vegetables to them. I love seeing the way they respond to tasting a new vegetable that they thought wouldn’t be appetizing, but now enjoy.
What do you like to do outside of work and/or what is a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues may not know?
I enjoy reading novels, traveling and spending time with family and my dog.
