Meet Isabella! ✨ Intern Intros

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Hi! My name is Isabella Escobar and I am one of the two interns with Florida Impact’s Farm to Leon County Schools initiative — also referred to as “Farm to Fort” when working within the Fort Braden community.

I am originally from Orlando and currently live in Tallahassee for school.

This is my senior year at Florida State University. My major is Dietetics and my intended minor is Child Development.

I’m on the path to becoming a Registered Dietitian and through this internship have had the opportunity to do work I am passionate about. I have been excited to offer nutrition education to the Fort Braden community.

My goal is to serve women and children as a Registered Dietitian in a community and clinical nutrition setting. I would like to expand my work to low-income communities and work in maternal nutrition.

The Farm to Fort initiative has allowed me to work with the community to learn about local produce, healthy recipes, SNAP benefits, and much more.

My favorite part has been working with children one-on-one to hear their experiences with food.

I already feel I have received so much from the internship, but I am excited to see what more projects we accomplish.

— Isabella

Meet Kaley! ✨ Intern Intros

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Kaley MacDonald joined the Florida Impact team in October 2022.

She is currently studying Dietetics at Florida State University with a minor in Child Development.

After she graduates this spring with her Bachelor’s, she will go on to get her Master’s in Dietetics with a focus on food sustainability.

As a dietetic intern for Florida Impact, Kaley contributes to the Farm to Leon County Schools project — also referred to as “Farm to Fort” when working within the Fort Braden community — by leading nutrition education and engaging students through fun Taste Tests in which the students eat a new, locally grown produce each month.

Farm to Leon County Schools is an initiative that helps connect local farmers to the community in order to provide healthier and fresher options to children by combining nutrition and agricultural education in local schools.

Kaley has noticed that the children who participate in the Taste Tests get excited trying new foods as she encourages them to bring home what they learn and make new meals with the foods they try.

She is now working with the Florida Impact team to build a garden at Fort Braden with the goal to emphasize fresh healthy options that can be used in their everyday school lunches while involving the students in the growth process of certain foods.

Kaley is passionate about educating the public on nutrition and agricultural sustainability while working with her team to come up with new opportunities to get the community excited about consuming healthier food options.

In her free time, Kaley enjoys spending time outdoors, being with friends and family, cooking, reading, and traveling.

— Kaley