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Alex, Assistant Farm Manager
Over the four seasons Alex has spent at the farm, he has worked his way up to the position of Assistant Farm Manager. His easy-going nature and get-it-done attitude make him a natural leader amongst his peers. The best contribution to the farm from Alex this summer was the Puerto Rican rice he made from his grandmother's recipe! In his words, "I like to work with other people and learn new things…it's a lot of fun; my goal is to have my own restaurant business in the future." |
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Ivan Acosta
Ivan is very influenced in his actions by his faith, and brings its positive influence on him to work every day. He jokes that "the money inspires me to keep working," but we think it's more than that…the bees also seem to be a draw. Ivan missed some of the season due to an injury, but returned mid-season to finish the year off strong! |
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Kory Bates
Kory is a first year student from Waukegan High School. At first he was not sure the farm was for him (especially the team-building exercises), but soon he was leading even the most "embarrassing" exercises and cracking everyone up with his great sense of humor. During the "off-season" he enjoys playing football and is inspired by his mom. |
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Semeka Cunningham
Semeka's consistent attendance, good attitude and work ethic earned her a spot on the trip to California for the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) conference this summer, where she got to visit other urban agriculture sites, snorkel and stay in the UCLA dorms. Aside from her interest and skills in gardening, she is a member of the creative writing team at school and won 1st place reading one of her favorite poems. |
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Crystal Getten
Although Crystal is a bit skittish around the "creepy crawlies" at the farm, that doesn't stop her from giving a great tour to farm visitors. She has a consistently great attitude and it is a rare day when she doesn't have a smile on her face, even early in the morning. Thank goodness for Crystal, because in her words "I love weeding." And "after high school I see myself happy with everything happy in life." We're sure she will be! |
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Khalil Harris
Khalil's outgoing personality and great cooking skills (his homemade fried chicken was polished off in about 5 minutes flat at the potluck) made him a wonderful addition to the farm and markets. In the off-season, he is a varsity wrestler and aspires to go to college and major in Electrical Engineering. In his words, he is "inspired by everyone." |
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T'Keyiah Haynes
T'Keyiah has proven herself time and time again during the season through numerous opportunities for public speaking, including attendance at the American Community Gardening Association conference in California. According to T'Keyiah, "what I like most about the farm is that there are all kinds of things that I never heard of before." And one of her outstanding qualities is that she's always up for trying something new! |
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"Big" Josh Johnson
Bio to come. |
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Ambrose Moore
Over the course of the season, Ambrose has proven to have a natural talent for remembering horticultural terms and how they apply to the work we do at the farm. Unlike the other students, Ambrose does not see much of his co-workers in the off-season, which he misses. According to Ambrose, "The unique thing about me is that I'm a hard worker and I learn fast and I take pride in what I do." We think he's right on the money there! |
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Demetrius Nance
Of all the pictures we have of the students, this one is least representative of its subject. Demetrius is a tireless worker with a great attitude. Although he may seem a bit quiet, he was hardly shy when giving an outstanding tour of the farm to political leaders during our open house. He likes to plant, "because you see the results of your hard work," but "my least favorite job is watering because it is boring." In his spare time, Demetrius plays volleyball and he's inspired by his family. |
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Rashad Roberts
Rashad states, "When I got this job, I was not excited. It was very hot outside; the bugs were pests, and it was muggy. When I started to come every day it got exciting. The plants were getting very beautiful." Despite on-going transportation issues, which resulted in docked pay from every check, Rashad persisted in his attendance at work. He was famous (or infamous) for being willing to eat almost anything the farm had to offer! |
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Hasson Robinson
Hasson won the farm award for most consistent attendance in 2006, and was also noted for his persistence in making sure all of the plants were well watered. He diligently rode his bike to work and got there on time no matter what the weather. In his spare time, Hasson likes to read "Goosebumps" books by R.L. Stine. |
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Jesenia Sanchez
Jesenia was a great addition to the farm for her consistent work ethic and leadership qualities. She earned the most "kudos" (awards for going above and beyond) of any other student, and is inspired by "seeing others work as hard as I do and working as a team." Jesenia graduated from high school this year, and is beginning her college career at the College of Lake County with hopes to transfer to University of Illinois-Chicago. |
