Save The Planet/Eat Real Food/Compostability
“Sustainable Futures Program”
My little forager is being given a “Partial” scholarship at an ivy league school for the SUMMER. In fact 2 partials, one for her vocal ability and one for her love for the environment and clean sustainable food.
We could use some support. Key word, “Partial”. Missing this opportunity can’t be an option.
Any donation can support. If you prefer to purchase my massage body butter, a link can be shared with you directly.
Just to give you an idea. This is her essay along with her grades (4.0 gpa), that got her into one of the most sought after programs in the U.S. and internationally. This program teaches young girls hands on knowledge about “Sustainability”.
Her essays come with visuals..
Curious Roots: My Path to Sustainability
My passion for sustainability, farming, and social justice was sparked at Curious Jane camp in Brooklyn. My mom, who always made sure I saw the hidden gems in the city. Since we weren’t eligible for free camps and couldn’t afford expensive ones, Curious Jane was our solution.
At camp, I joined Kitchen Chemistry, where I discovered urban edibles growing in the cracks of the city. More than anything, I was grateful to be around other girls. We could have been knitting, and I would have been just as happy. But instead, we explored Prospect Park and the tree-lined streets of Brooklyn, identifying edible plants hidden in plain sight.
Our counselors taught us about molecular changes, but what captivated me most was foraging for plants we could actually eat. The idea that food and medicine existed beyond grocery store shelves fascinated me. It was my first realization that sustainability wasn’t just an abstract concept, it was something I could engage with daily.
The Fabulous Five
That curiosity grew when I spent summers with my great-grandmother and great-aunts, whom I call The Fabulous Five. When my great-grandmother passed, her four sisters often cared for me while my mom worked. Their big backyards in Queens were filled with greenery.
I would pick leaves, wash them, and make salads. Nobody trusted my creations, but I did. We laughed, but I knew the joke was on them. Curious Jane had taught me all I needed to know.
My aunts, however, trusted certain plants. Aunt Lala had wild parsley, and Aunt Edna grew wild peppermint. That they believed in, because they could smell it. Those summers are etched in my memory. Today, only one of my great-aunts remains; she’s 100 years old.
A Legacy of Sustainability
My great-grandmother passed her plant knowledge to my mom, who always had me sipping herbal remedies that looked like weeds but worked like magic. She had learned from Curaçao, where aloe plants are so valued that cutting them down is illegal, true sustainability in action.
In Puerto Rico, my other great-grandmother worked on a farm run by her grandmother. The Taíno people tended the land, and we still harvest beans from that soil today. Her backyard was filled with treasures: a soursop tree (its leaves fight cancer), a mango tree, and an alcohol tree brought from my great-great-great-grandmother’s farm.
Sustainability isn’t just something I believe in; it’s something my ancestors fought for. When the government tried to build a road that would destroy their farmland, my great-grandmother led farmworkers armed with machetes to stop them.
My Own Journey
At eight, I marched in climate protests. I petitioned against plastic straws to protect marine life. Sustainability isn’t a trend for me, it’s a way of life.
Now, as Curious Ariah, I hope to continue this journey at Smith’s Sustainable Futures program, where I 
can expand my knowledge and turn my passion into action.
