Hi there! My name is Hannah and I am a senior biology major at Dickinson College.  This blog will serve as an outlet for my thoughts and assignments during my Food Studies Certificate capstone.  I grew up in Ithaca, NY, and enjoy riding horses, spending time with my girlfriend, Kathleen, and my cat, Dana Scully, and hiking during my free time.  My interests in food studies center around sustainability, food justice, accessibility, and my personal experience as an individual living with Celiac Disease.

My Celiac diagnosis came as a major surprise and created a drastic shift in my life and the life of my partner, who works as a pastry chef.  Since going gluten-free, we have restructured and rebuilt her small business to cater to the allergen-friendly market.  My background in biology and the liberal arts pairs well with her pastry and business education to position us strongly as we move forwards as entrepreneurs.

Kath and I have also been part of the team at The Sunrise Cafe, a new restaurant as of October 2019 in Carlisle.  Kath is the kitchen manager and cook, and I work on the line as well as on the social media presence of the business.  I am using the cafe as my experiential component for the certificate, and am excited to deepen my understanding of what it takes to get a brick-and-mortar business up and off the ground in a community similar to this one