Reyna joined NYCP as an Intern from the Summer Public Health Scholars Program at Columbia University. She is from North Carolina and studied Sociology, Medical Anthropology, and Data Science at UNC-Chapel Hill. In the future, she hopes to dedicate her career to researching and addressing social determinants of health to reduce population health disparities. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, trying new recipes, and reading.
Q: How did you first hear about New York Common Pantry?
A: I first learned about the New York Common Pantry when I was matched here for an internship. I have a huge interest in food insecurity, and I wanted to work in a place where I can explore that interest in a unique way.
Q: What do you enjoy most or what is your favorite thing about interning at NYCP?
A: My favorite thing about NYCP is the wide variety of programming they use to address food insecurity across the community. I like that I got to be involved in everything from nutrition lessons for elementary schoolers to food distribution for Farmshare.
Q: How has interning at NYCP made an impact on you?
A: Interning at the New York Common Pantry has allowed me to bridge the gap between public health education and practice. It is one thing to learn about issues that face our communities, but being involved in hands-on solutions has been very fulfilling.
Q: What project did you work on and how did NYCP support you?
A: For my final research project, I am visiting grocery stores in a neighborhood in the Bronx to assess whether healthy groceries are accessible to residents of that area. The NYCP actually inspired my project. After visiting a school in the neighborhood to teach student nutrition education, I grew curious about whether residents would be able to implement what we’re teaching them with what is available in their neighborhood. I found that although affordability of groceries was an issue, an even greater problem was the availability of groceries. A lot of grocery stores lacked important types of vegetables, whole grains, and more.