During a trip to Panama as a teenager, Elizabeth Gunner offered a snack to a malnourished girl and was surprised to get a hug in return.
“I was embarrassed because of how disproportionate her gratitude was to what I had done,” Elizabeth recalls. “In that moment, I realized access to food isn’t a fundamental right for every person. The striking nature of this encounter resulted in leading my life in pursuit of food justice.”
Returning home with a renewed purpose, she changed her undergraduate major to nutritional science. This fall Elizabeth begins study for a master’s degree in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
She says, “I intend to work for a public health agency in the hopes that, one day, the future of global health and nutrition is characterized by equitable distribution of resources.”
To the donors of this scholarship Elizabeth says, “Thank you for believing in my vision and for believing in me. As I aim to make a difference in my community, this scholarship will be critical when it comes to affording the education I need.”
The Chris Andersen WomenLead Scholarship recognizes the need for diverse leadership in ministry, nonprofits and civic organizations and seeks to accelerate the extraordinary leadership of diverse women of faith to lead change by using their talents to educate, advocate and activate.
Donors have the opportunity to