“Find what you truly love and stay with it – make it your passion!”
Chastidy Walker (she/her)
Graduated: 2019, Cohort 17
Forest and Bay View Houses Eco-Hub Fellow, Cohorts 23 & 24
From: Linden Houses, Brooklyn
Current Position: City Parks Foundation Garden Coordinator/Instructor
City Parks Foundation makes parks vibrant centers of community through sports, arts, community building, and environmental education programs for New Yorkers across all five boroughs.
Tell us about your current role and daily responsibilities.
“I teach high school/college interns about healthy eating and sustainability! We create healthy spaces for students to express themselves. My typical day [includes] watering, weeding, and cooking demos [when] I teach lessons about healthy eating.”
Describe your career pathway.
“My career path [goal] is to be a farm manager and include the youth! Working in my current position as a Garden Coordinator for City Parks Foundation, I’ve received a great amount of support from my co-workers as well as my high school interns. I love the impact I’m making and the skills I’m learning!”
What advice do you have for current Corps Members and other Alumni?
“Find what you truly love and stay with it – make it your passion!”
What’s your favorite GCF memory?
“My favorite memories honestly come from the Red Hook Farm when I was a Corps Member!”
GRADUATION TESTIMONY:
“I became a Corps Member because I really hadn’t been a part of anything with a respectable foundation since high school and that was three years ago. Before I was in Green City Force I wasn’t doing my best, however I wasn’t doing my worst. I’m young and I’ve always just wanted to have fun. This program has shown me so many new things, I won’t be able to forget anything. The most important thing I’ve learned from Green City Force was being able to control my emotions in a work space. I was put into situations where I’ve had to rethink my actions and how I would normally act in a situation, but wouldn’t because of the growth I was working on. I’ve always thought I was strong but you don’t know how strong you are until you mature. My plans after Green City Force are to attend school. Education has always been important to me and nobody can take that away from me. Last but not least, I want to thank Shanique, Thomas, Kyela, Chase, Vivian and the best team leader, Andrew Lewis.”
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