The Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for individuals passionate about food security and social justice to make a meaningful impact while developing professional skills. In this interview, we dive into the journeys of Kenneth Palmer and Nicholas French—two fellows who not only shared the fellowship experience but also became roommates and lifelong friends. Kenneth, with a background in public policy, explored the intersection of food systems and legislative advocacy, while Nicholas, drawing from his experience in community organizing, focused on grassroots initiatives to combat hunger. From their diverse academic backgrounds to the challenges they overcame, Kenneth and Nicholas offer valuable insights into the fellowship, sharing how their time in the program shaped their careers and worldviews. Aspiring fellows and advocates alike will find inspiration in their stories and advice, making this a must-read for anyone considering a path in fighting hunger and inequality.
1. What interested you both in pursuing your respective fields in undergrad?
Kenneth: My decision to pursue history and literature in college, with a focus on the post-Soviet space, was based on my love of the Russian language and an interest that I discovered in school, in Kazakhstan and Central Asia in general. I hadn’t had the opportunity to travel internationally growing up, and I seized the opportunity as soon as it became available. I started when I was eighteen with the NSLI-Y program through the state department to spend a fully-funded summer in Kirov, Russia. Every trip, including a semester in St. Petersburg and two summers in Kazakhstan, was funded through a fellowship or grant program through my school. My insatiable curiosity about non-western places, along with my love of language learning and new experiences, carried me to many places. The geopolitics and process of identity formation and the destruction of indigenous lifestyles and rural lifestyles felt both endlessly fascinating and incredibly important. Many of the issues that I focused on then inform my work on rural issues, food security, racial difference and justice, and popular political movements for basic needs. The ubiquity of wealth and power hoarding across the world, in different forms and with different consequences in different places, compels me to find ways to make meaningful changes and break the cycle of extraction.
Nicholas: Funny enough, I was originally going to major in Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell’s School of Human Ecology. I’ve always been very passionate about basic needs and strengthening the well-being in communities of color, and that seemed like the program that would enable me to do just that. Cornell didn’t have a public policy major at the time (there is one now in the recently established Brooks School of Public Policy), so Policy Analysis (PAM for short) seemed like the right way to go. I remember visiting the school during Diversity Hosting and sitting in on a midafternoon Intro to PAM class in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall (MVR for short…Human Ecology loves its acronyms). I recall staring at a graph for about 45 minutes and thinking to myself, “Though this information is incredible and being taught by some of the brightest minds on this side of the Earth; I can’t stare at a single graph for 45 minutes a class”. I leaned over to what appeared to be a knowledgeable sophomore sitting next to me and whispered, “Hey…excuse me. Is this…is this it?” And he replied, “Yeah dude.”
With that, I decided to make a pivot.
After graduating high school from Cranbrook Kingswood in Michigan, I attended the Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (formerly known as the Prefreshman Summer Program or PSP). The campus was gorgeous, and I marveled at the serene quiet of Ithaca’s hills during the summer. During a meeting with my academic advisor, I voiced my concerns about the quantitative nature of my selected major. She nodded, pondered this information, and handed me a new curriculum sheet. “You should try out HD,” she said. “It seems like it would be a better fit.”
Thus began my favorite academic experience, which I’ve been blessed to have. Human Development was the perfect combination of biology, sociology, psychology, and a blend of other disciplines for a sprouting academic such as myself. The major is essentially the study of how human beings flourish at every individual stage of life, and I relished being able to learn about what makes humans live fulfilled, joyful, and healthy lives. I was able to learn about the context of how the spaces I have lived in my entire life impacted my character and well-being, as well as how the policies and economic conditions of cities such as my hometowns of Southfield and Detroit shaped the lives of Black people generations before me. It was a great, challenging time, and I’m glad I had the conversations that led me to that point.
2. What led you both to apply to the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship? And why this program over other opportunities?
Kenneth: The Emerson Fellowship was recommended to me by a former coworker who was an alumnus of the program. It appealed to me because of my interest in food systems and agriculture. I had spent the years prior working on farms, and food banks as well as interning at organizations focused on community and political organizing. The fellowship, to me, seemed like an opportunity to develop skills and connections to address the systemic issues I saw in my work and the world around me. I recognized the significance of food, and I wanted to make an impact on how it is produced and distributed—this opportunity has set me on that path.
Nicholas: There’s a point in every college senior’s fall semester when they have “The Conversation” with their extended family. Let me paint an image for you:
You’re traveling home to your family for winter break, exhausted from the prelims (what Cornellians have been socialized to call exams), Residential Advisor responsibilities, and organizational leadership experiences that both enriched your life and challenged it at once. You’re ready to walk into your high school room and knock out on that thank-goodness-not-twin-sized bed that you’ve been dreaming of for months. Its pillowy embrace invites you, and for a moment, maybe even a couple of days, you experience bliss. You haven’t needed to clean a freshman’s vomit from the front of your Living Learning Community’s steps for days, and your emails are deliciously empty. This is paradise; however, “The Conversation” is brewing on the horizon. Eventually, the words burst forth from your beloved aunt nonetheless: “What are you doing after you graduate. What is your plan?”. What followed was a stammering approximation of an improv session in which I tried to fashion my life’s purpose and four years of education into a worthy 5-year image. This attempt was not successful.
The next weeks of my winter break were spent scouring my networks and knowledgeable mentors for the elusive plan. I found other opportunities, but none would satiate my desire to research effective policies for people of color while getting me far out of my comfort zone. After many nights of looking and wistfully looking out my Southfield window, I came across what would become my life for the coming year. The message was posted on Cornell’s Government Opportunities Career Digest email newsletter. It read: “The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship- apply by Jan 13th”. This was a worthy plan.
For some context, I grew up in downtown Detroit during the prelude to the city’s bankruptcy in 2013. With the loss of a massive portion of the city’s tax base due to white flight and the evacuation of the city’s Black middle class, as well as the loss of thousands of automotive jobs, Detroit was experiencing an intense economic downturn. Through my mother’s hardworking career as an attorney and the care of my family, I was fortunate to have been protected from the hardship that surrounded me; however, as I grew older, the sobering reality of the city’s pain began to weigh on my mind.
Around me, community members who were majority Black were experiencing food insecurity and housing insecurity on a mass scale, and I could see the strain in my mother’s eyes as she worked tirelessly to maintain our livelihood as the leader of an African American single-mother household. For much of my life, I have carried her personal strength and the perseverance of the people around me who were encumbered by racist policies as my guiding light for what I wanted to do in the world. The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship presented the opportunity to crystallize that light into reality. I could travel to a different state and work with a field site, then use my experiences there to research my life’s passion in Washington, DC, alongside a group of like-minded people. The plan was born.
3. Can you share insights into the application process? What made you a competitive candidate?
Kenneth: The application process comprised a written application and two interviews: a group interview and an individual one. My previous work at hunger/justice organizations in my hometown was probably a factor, and being able to trace the thread of food-related work throughout my experiences was likely helpful. I was able to connect the community organizing work I had done with farm work and food bank work to tell a story about seeking justice through the food system. Importantly, the story I told was authentic and really reflected my values and my understanding of the world. That should be the basis for any application.
Nicholas: The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship has a multi-sectioned application. The first portion of the application is a three-page document containing a personal statement, your resume, and two short essay questions. First, I wrote my personal statement. Through this section of the application, I described my upbringing, educational pursuits, and how all of these contributed to my desire to join the fellowship program. For this portion, I really needed to dig deep and unearth what genuinely drove my desire to lead and live. Personally, I believe that giving back to the Black community created me and working to ensure that Detroit’s communities of color are not left out of the city’s recent revival. I shared my experiences working as a congressional intern for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation with Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and Congressman Hank Johnson, as well as how these opportunities crafted me into an effective policy writer and storyteller. I also made sure to write about how my major and minors influenced my decision to apply for the fellowship. When applying for this program, it is essential to focus on the importance of the cohort. Half of the fellowship consists of getting to know an incredible group of people who will help you develop as a leader and a human being. Be sure to write about how important that is to you and how it will make you into a better leader. Ultimately, I wrote from the heart and was specific about why the fellowship was important to me at that time. You must write with urgency (not desperation) and be honest about what drives you.
I would recommend getting someone to look over your resume. I had a great experience speaking with my friends in the Cornell Career Services office, who helped me with my application. Seek out those resources in your educational institution and ask a trusted individual to look everything over. That makes all the difference.
For the short answer sections, I made sure to use my policy knowledge that I had gained from my Congressional Black Caucus Foundation experience. I discussed specific bills and how they could contribute to food security for the American people in the long run. Applicants should thoroughly research food insecurity in their hometown and its root causes, as well as learn about best practices for following the leadership of people with lived experiences with hunger. Show that you are a knowledgeable and observant leader who is always willing to learn.
The later sections of the application process took the form of group interviews and personal interviews. Here, just be yourself and make sure to uplift everyone in the interview however you can. During my process, I made sure to repeat to myself, “If anyone gets this, it’s a win for us all.” I know it sounds cheesy, but seriously, it works and helps calm you down. Don’t be afraid to speak up and display your knowledge, but make sure you don’t take up too much room. The group interviews are designed to show how you work with a team (your future cohort) prioritize being a good team member! Also, I would recommend creating a shared Google document and being the note-taker for the group. It shows that you’re listening and can effectively move the conversation forward.
For the personal interviews, again, just be yourself and come with questions you have about the fellowship. This is your time to shine, and your interviewer wants to know what makes you tick, as well as how you can contribute to the fellowship. Have fun, and know that you’ve already come a long way as a finalist.
Ultimately, the application process is a chance for you to display the skills you have and let them know about the skills you’re excited to develop. Read the website extensively and familiarize yourself with the concept of the Leadership Capabilities Model. This fellowship is also for individuals who are committed to furthering racial equity in all aspects of life. This should be a fundamental aspect of your life beyond your application. Learn, read about, and participate actively in the self-determination of people of color and the Pan-African diaspora. It is a necessary part of this fellowship and (in my opinion) of life.
4. How was your time as a Bill Emerson Fellow? What were some highlights of the fellowship? Were there any challenges you faced?
Kenneth: It was a great experience overall. I came in hoping to get experience working in an office and transitioning from physical labor work to the “professional” working world. I accomplished that; however, the heart of the experience was really in the cohort and in the friends and coworkers I interacted with over my time in the fellowship. Meeting my field site partner, Nicholas French, who has become one of my best friends and is my current roommate, has been a highlight. We endured some of the harder parts of the fellowship and some major life challenges together, and having community and friendship during that made life changes easier to bear.
The fellowship itself, as it currently stands, is pretty hands-off. Fellows are given placements and then are allowed wide latitude to complete their work plan, make connections, and create meaning from their experiences. There were times when I could have used a little more formal programming and education about strategies to make a change and more 101-style seminars on the nuts and bolts of policy and systems governing our work. Overall, there were opportunities to reach out for support, and it has been useful for training for the working world and the world in general, which often doesn’t come with tutorials. Self-direction, including actively leaning on community and mentors and not being afraid to ask for guidance, is a big component of this fellowship.
Nicholas: My time as a Bill Emerson National Hunger fellow was beautiful, challenging, and insightful. I was placed at Feeding South Dakota in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a place that was extremely different from anywhere I had ever been before. For an in-depth description of my experience in Sioux Falls, you can check out my blog post on the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship website.
My time in Washington, DC, has been transformative, to say the least. I was paired with the Brookings Institution and have been working with the esteemed Dr. Andre Perry in their Center for Community Uplift, formerly known as the Valuing Black Assets Initiative. There, I have been supporting their research team with various projects such as researching various academic institutions through a racial equity lens for the developing Economic Architecture Center, conducting research literature reviews on tribal collaboration best practices and the myriad histories of Native Americans in the Southern California region, and research on Michigan. I have had the honor of co-authoring an article on Michigan’s majority Black cities, as well as writing an upcoming blog on how food insecurity has changed for Detroit’s Black community over the past 10 years. The entire team has been incredible, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with (shout out to Hannah, Manann, and Anthony!). They helped sculpt my research skills and made me into a more confident writer.
There are many aspects of the fellowship that have been incredibly challenging. Being placed in South Dakota was definitely the biggest hurdle, as the lifestyle and culture there were very different from mine back home. Coming from the majority Black cities of Southfield and Detroit to the very-not-majority-Black city of Sioux Falls was a major adjustment that took months to adapt to. However, the care and camaraderie I found through my field site partner, Kenneth, made everything much more workable, and I grew immensely from these experiences.
DC has also been challenging, as Brookings has required me to grow as a writer and storyteller; however, I feel that my skill set was far more suitable for their line of work than in South Dakota. Adapting to the city has been a thrilling and intense experience. There’s a lot to do here, and you will never run out of people to meet and communities to learn from. The food here is amazing, and you will meet individuals from all over the world. My greatest advice would be to lean on your cohort and develop some mental health care routines. You’re a human first and a scholar second.
5. What are your future plans following the completion of the fellowship?
Kenneth: I am working as a Senior Program Assistant for the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) on the Agriculture and Food Systems team. The organization educates and partners with progressive state legislators to encourage collaboration across state lines to create a broad-based movement toward economic justice across different issue areas. I’m particularly excited about the organization’s Challenging Corporate Power Initiative. I’m happy to talk about my work with anyone interested. I hope to contribute to a definition of the narrative toward substantive economic uplift and to keep away from the recent trend of pretty words or fear-mongering without any material benefit for most people.
Nicholas: I will be searching for new jobs to take the next step in my career. The fellowship has an incredible network of people from various industries, and our director, Tony Jackson, has been a wonderful source of knowledge and encouragement. I’m excited to see what the next steps are, but I’m also ready to take a rest for a moment and visit family back home.
6. Can you describe what it was like to go from strangers to close friends and roommates during the fellowship?
Nicholas: I remember the time slightly before my departure to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. To be honest, I was uncertain about leaving for the middle of the country and entering a community that I had absolutely no connection to, socially or professionally, at that time. The trepidation weighed on my mind, and I had yet to meet the gentleman named “Kenneth Palmer” with whom I would be taking this journey.
I remember our first conversation on the phone. His voice was notably gentle, and I could detect a similar uncertainty about the coming months. He was a Kansan– a fellow midwesterner, but a different flavor from my own Southfield, MI. He spoke of his past working on farms near his hometown and cultivating relationships in his newfound home at the time in Denver, Colorado. Also, he spoke excitedly of a winter squash festival in Sioux Falls and the many varieties of gourds one could consume during harvest. Since I had only ever consumed two types of squash in my entire life, I politely nodded through the phone and pondered what kind of person I was speaking to. We seemed like kindred spirits, but squash was never a point of excitement for me. I was impressed that he made me care about gourds in such a short period. Though he was far more of a naturalist than I, the agrarian suburbia of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was a long trek, even for him. We were unsure of the future but found mutual comfort in each other’s uncertainty. That comfort then matured into bravery and bravery to nervous excitement. After he found an apartment (thank you, KenDog), we committed to seeing this journey through.
Our first couple of days in South Dakota were memorable. I met his wonderful cat named Alister Lindsay Graham Tiny Little Man in the Meadows Pay (Ali G for short). I became quick friends with both of them as we began to explore the city and acclimate to our new work environment. Tragically, I lost a friend from college on the first day of our work placement, and the shock of his passing shook me to the core. I was horrified by the loss; however, Kenneth made sure to support me as I grieved and offered a listening ear. Without a shadow of a doubt, Kenneth and I were strangers in a strange land, navigating new cultural norms and working together to understand and navigate the political and economic landscape of the city in order to do the most good.
With persistence, we delved into the mysteries of our new home and the unforgettable personalities who populated its restaurants, libraries, farmers markets, and pubs. We were attached at the hip, scouring the city’s nooks and crannies for new experiences and delicacies. We traveled the entirety of South Dakota together, piecing together the state’s history and speaking to hundreds of South Dakotans experiencing food insecurity in cities as far as Rapid City to aid in Feeding South Dakota’s research.
In every conversation and interaction I had with Kenneth, he always showed that he cared. That theme would define all of our experiences together during the fellowship and beyond– care. I would be remiss if I said our times in South Dakota were not difficult. We knew nobody in the area and had to forge our lives in this new place almost from scratch. The intensely conservative state politics were distressing at times. We and our wonderful coworkers worked as hard as possible to help make a difference for the community even though the state’s culture of silence on food insecurity stood in the way. It was difficult work, but our friendship gave us strength.
My dearest memories were of going to local farmers markets and making dishes I had never heard of together. Kenneth is an incredible cook, and by watching him experiment with the diverse vegetables and ingredients that lined the natural environment, I developed an understanding of food I never had before that moment. He taught me how to appreciate the natural world and find wonder in the rustle of the catalpa trees. He encouraged me to explore my emotions and make peace with my past mistakes, as I did for him. We trusted each other as we ventured into the shade and ultimately came out victorious. Our time in DC was an extension of this care. We supported each other in our field site placements. We were each other’s confidantes as we navigated work, friendships, and relationships. Kenneth gave me a loving friendship, and I am eternally grateful for him.
7. And finally, what is some parting advice can you two share with our readers?
Kenneth: If you doubt yourself and your abilities like I have, try to work through that doubt and push yourself beyond your comfort zone. It is scary at first, but the more you challenge yourself, the broader the range of things you can handle. Counterintuitively, the more uncomfortable you are on a regular basis, the more comfortable many things become. Don’t count yourself out if you have struggled or are bringing heavy burdens. I came with life experiences that I thought defined me, and I’ve found I can do things I never imagined.
Please know that you have a role to play in making this world better than a cheap series of transactions. You are more than a worker or a set of test scores and grades and “hard skills.” Bring your heart, sharpen your mind, and be critical of the systems and people that try to box you in. The whole person that you are, that resistance to being coaxed into conformity, is the bedrock of a better future. That may feel abstract; I’ll make it more concrete. Don’t be fooled by fancy titles or promises of wealth or status or power—there is always a price to pay. Be careful about trading prestige for your soul. The path to making good change is a narrow one.
Nicholas: I can breakdown my advice into a few simple points:
- Be ready to adapt and learn about yourself. This fellowship will make you grow and change in the best ways possible. Lean on your values and the people you Love.
- Use the application process as an opportunity to research food insecurity and learn from others who have lived experience in a respectful way. If you have lived experience with hunger yourself, hold true to that experience and use it to fuel your mission. You made it through so much, and your experiences will uplift the fellowship just as much as it will lift you up.
- Don’t be afraid to get personal (as much as you’re comfortable with). Reflect and move with personal purpose.
- Get some hobbies and read some good books. Be proactive about caring for your mental health, and take advantage of the resources the fellowship gives you.
- Learn how to cook.
- Learn how to cook well.
- Learn how to cook well and DON’T cook liver if you don’t know how already. South Dakota taught us that hard lesson.
- Be yourself and give love.
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Kenneth hails from Lawrence, Kansas and believes in the value and power of rural people and organizing. He currently works with State Innovation Exchange (SiX) as Senior Program Assistant. Most recently, he was part of the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship with the Congressional Hunger Center. The fellowship took him to two organizations: Feeding South Dakota in Sioux Falls, SD and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in Washington, D.C. His background in agriculture includes a season as a field hand at Sacred Sun Farm in Perry, KS and various volunteer and paid opportunities at small farms and gardens. His ancestors were Exodusters to Kansas and farmed land there into the 20th century, and that past and present reality informs his belief in rural and racial opportunity. Kenneth graduated with an A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard University.
A resident of Southfield, Michigan, Nicholas French graduated from Cornell University with a major in Human Development and minors in Creative Writing and Law and Society. Nicholas’ passion for food justice and housing security began in his native Metro-Detroit, where he witnessed the hardships of hunger and the perseverance of the people who overcame it. Nicholas is especially proud of his experience as a Congressional Intern for the offices of former Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and current Congressman Hank Johnson through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Nicholas is currently serving as a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC.
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