Urban Seeds has had the wonderful experience of adding our first intern to our group of dedicated volunteer members this summer. She is a tremendous asset to not only us but also to our community and has been working hard to further Urban Seeds’ mission of increasing access to nourishing food for all. Please allow us to introduce her to you.
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Anazuo Ohieku-Ajanaku and I am from Lagos, Nigeria. I am a senior at the University of Evansville studying Public Health. I like to spend my time watching my favorite shows which include Grey’s Anatomy and Master Chef Australia.
How do you like Evansville and what are your impressions of this community?
It was a big shift for me because I grew up in a really big city. But I have grown to enjoy the serenity of the community. I also like how involved people in the community are in bettering the lives of everyone around. The University of Evansville also does a great job in getting students to engage with the community.
What made you decide on your area of studies?
Going into undergrad, I knew that I wanted to go to medical school after graduating. There was the obvious option which was a bachelors degree in biology or chemistry; however, I have been very passionate about public health especially since the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014 occurred. So, I decided to go into that area of study and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made which I think will be beneficial in my future career.
What drew you to Urban Seeds?
During one of my classes last semester Ms. Robin Mallery was a guest speaker and she spoke about Urban Seeds and what the organization did. I was quite shocked to learn that much of Evansville is an area of high food needs (formerly know of as a food desert). Like I mentioned earlier, I am very passionate about public health and access to healthy and nutritious food is a huge part of health. I am so excited to be a part of an organization that does so much.
What have you been working on with Urban Seeds?
I have been involved with the farmers market, Market on Main, every Wednesday; gathering information on the number of customers attending the market as well as what the main attractions of the market are for them. All this information will be analyzed at the end of the market season to view the progress as well as improvements for next year. Another project coming up is the new bulk food buying club and I am really excited about the upcoming meetings about that.
What are your future plans and goals?
After graduating from college I plan to take a year off to work and gain more experience as well as delve into the medical field before going back to school. I am currently working on my master’s degree in public health concurrently with my bachelor’s degree. I also hope to work with a nonprofit again in the future.
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We are so grateful for Anazuo’s dedication to Urban Seeds and have really enjoyed getting to know her during her hours of time spent working on our behalf. Her motivation to improving the health of the community is clear and we are certain she will go far in her career. On behalf of Urban Seeds and it’s Board of Directors: thank you for all you are doing for our community!
