Neely Griggs

Fulbright-University of Reading Postgraduate Award in Food Security - Master of Science in Food Security and Development

A native of rural Mississippi, Neely has always been passionate about food. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neely found herself leaving her office job to work on a small-scale, certified naturally grown farm in Oxford, Mississippi, and here, she began to understand the food system like never before. Graduating in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in German and Public Policy Leadership and a Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business, Neely’s interdisciplinary interest in public health, food policy, and non-profit management led her to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Wingate University in North Carolina. In this role, she has worked alongside community leaders to build capacity with the newly formed Food Council of Union County and coordinate the operations expansion of the Wingate Community Garden, including the addition of accessible beds and a native pollinator garden.