2021 President’s Prize Recipient: Christina Allen

February 12, 2021

Each year, two graduating seniors are selected as President’s Prize scholars. This is the highest recognition Ohio State bestows on exceptional students who are committed to social change through elevating society through research. One of this year’s recipients is Christina Allen, a senior majoring in Human Nutrition and International Studies. Christina will be graduating in 2021 and has been rewarded for her work in Food Leads, an initiative focused on nutrition as a central part of treatment for type 2 diabetes patients in addition to the promotion of healthy eating to prevent future diseases.

Food insecurity in Columbus is a dire issue that affects many central Ohioans, including some Ohio State students. Ohio ranks as one of the most food insecure states, and in Columbus and Franklin County respectively, about 25% of adults say they don’t have access to nutritious foods, while 1 in 5 children are unsure of where their next meal will come from. Black Columbus residents are 34% more likely to be food insecure compared to their White neighbors. Causes for food insecurity include but are not limited to transportation limitations, budget restrictions, and lack of education about which foods contain the nutrients needed to maintain our health. Food insecurity can further complicate pre-existing health conditions- namely, type 2 diabetes.

The story of Food Leads began with Christina’s own family having a strong history of type 2 diabetes, including her father. She adds, “I started to think about how I could use my passion for improving food access to help mitigate type 2 diabetes for other black families. . .Food Leads aims to tackle food insecurity among Black diabetes patients through grocery delivery and nutrition education.” While the primary demographic that Food Leads strives to reach is Black residents of Columbus, Christina adds that the program will reach those from all income levels and identities with the sliding scale pricing system.

Each winner of the President’s Prize receives a $50,000 stipend to fund the start-up operations of their project. Christina shared that she plans on utilizing her funds by hiring two part -time employees to help with the logistics of the program. Food Leads will also be recruiting volunteers to assist with the technicalities of the project. Ohio State students will be able to apply to be interns or become involved with the initiative as well.

When asked about the process of applying for the President’s Prize, Christina admitted that it was rigorous as it consisted of four rounds: two paper proposals, a presentation and an interview. However, she gained a sense of clarity on what she wanted to do upon graduation and the values that are important to her. To those wishing to apply in the future, Christina suggests staying true to yourself and your passions and that, “The President’s Prize panel is looking for passionate and capable individuals that are not afraid to take risks to serve their community.” If you’re interested in learning more about the President’s Prize, you can visit presidentsprize.osu.edu for more information.

Congrats, Christina, on receiving this incredible offer!

Sources:

https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/10/25/food-insecurity-snap-stamps-groceries-in-columbus-ohio/
https://radio.wosu.org/post/study-says-food-insecurity-columbus-much-worse-previously-thought#stream/0
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432289/