{"id":28190,"date":"2019-02-05T14:18:44","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T19:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=28190"},"modified":"2024-07-02T17:10:31","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T17:10:31","slug":"global-heel-maya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=28190","title":{"rendered":"Global Heel: Meet Maya Weinberg \u201919"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Maya
Maya Weinberg learns how to separate corn from the cob while studying abroad in Mexico.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Maya Weinberg \u201919, learning has never been limited to the classroom. After graduating from high school, Weinberg knew she needed to move beyond the classroom to gain additional experience before enrolling in a university to pursue her undergraduate degree. \u201cI grew up in Chapel Hill and had never meaningfully interacted with other communities, so I decided to take a gap year to work and live overseas,\u201d Weinberg says. \u201cUNC has an established relationship with Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, and at the time I was really interested in studying geography and human-environment interactions, so I spent four months conducting research at the Gal\u00e1pagos Science Center.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was in Ecuador \u2013 where Weinberg mapped human development such as housing and businesses to create a report demonstrating the impact of the tourist industry on economic development in the area \u2013 that Weinberg first learned about the Institute for the Study of the Americas at UNC-Chapel Hill and decided to return to her hometown to pursue a degree in Latin American studies. While at Carolina, Weinberg began working with the Carolina Campus Community Garden and volunteering with the Chapel Hill Farmers\u2019 Market, two experiences that shaped a focus for her studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the people who access produce from the [Carolina Campus Community Garden] are immigrants, and learning about immigrant populations, food production and Latin American culture piqued my interest in food security,\u201d says Weinberg, who is currently working on a senior thesis surrounding agricultural production in Mexico. \u201cLatin America and the U.S. are so intertwined, I felt a fascination with working in a country that my own country has had such an in-depth relationship with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout her time at UNC-Chapel Hill, Weinberg has complemented in-classroom learning with a broad range of hands-on experiences. The summer after her freshman year, Weinberg worked abroad at Tel Aviv University in Israel, where she learned about food security with other students from around the world. She later spent a semester studying in Mexico and working with farmers through Slow Food Mexico to organize educational trips for students. \u201cExperiential education is so important,\u201d Weinberg says of her time abroad. \u201cClasses and exchanges in other countries complemented what I learned at UNC. My experience at Carolina wouldn\u2019t have been nearly as productive or inspiring had it not been for the opportunities I had abroad to implement what I was learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May 2018, Weinberg returned to Mexico to begin research for her senior thesis, interviewing farmers in the Central Valley of Oaxaca on local agricultural practices, development, and changing consumptive practices. She followed her interview process with a summer spent in Washington, D.C., as a fellow for Meridian International Center\u2019s International Visitor Leadership Program. In her spare time, Weinberg volunteered at the local Columbia Heights Farmers Market, which supports and serves a large Hispanic population. With several vendors originally from Latin American countries and offering traditional cuisine in addition to produce, she says that \u201cit was fascinating to see such a successful model that provided the community with affordable, healthy foods in an environment that was comfortable and familiar for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weinberg notes that much of her experience at UNC-Chapel Hill has hinged on the importance of research and the on-the-ground learning opportunities it affords. \u201cI would really encourage any student at UNC, especially those in the social sciences and humanities, to find a research opportunity. It\u2019s not just for STEM-related studies,\u201d Weinberg says. \u201cIt forced me to be independent, to think creatively, to improve my writing skills \u2013 it\u2019s been one of the most practical experiences I\u2019ve had. Carolina offers many resources for students looking to go abroad and I\u2019ve found organizations abroad are really welcoming to students looking to learn in a hands-on way.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Jamie Gnazzo \u201913<\/em>, UNC Global<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Maya Weinberg \u201919, learning has never been limited to the classroom. After graduating from high school, Weinberg knew she needed to move beyond the classroom to gain additional experience before enrolling in a university to pursue her undergraduate 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