Eleanor

With a Bachelor’s degree in Food Industry Management and a Master’s degree in Marketing Research, Eleanor decided to make a career transition from market research to agriculture. She knew it would be a challenge to explain what made her transition into a different career path, and chose to start working with an employment coach, Miranda, after learning about One On One from a personal connection at the North American Food Systems Network.

Through support from One On One, Eleanor accepted an AmeriCorps position at Gardeneers, a local organization working with Chicago’s South and West Side schools to contribute positively to the food system in March 2025. Less than a month later, her position was terminated by federal budget cuts. 

“Miranda was a huge help in my career transition,” said Eleanor. “She helped me think about all the resumes that I could put together based on my background and experience. She truly helped me rethink how I present myself to the world.”

Despite the setback, Eleanor continued working with her employment coach to find a new role. Eleanor’s coach assisted her with editing and tailoring cover letters for each job application. 

Within a week of her role being terminated at Gardeneers, Eleanor applied, interviewed, and was hired to be a Wellness Associate at the Garfield Park Community Council. 

At the Garfield Park Community Council, Eleanor manages a garden network of seven gardens in Garfield Park, including the Garfield Park Conservatory, and co-runs the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market. She collaborates with growers from these gardens to collect produce, which she then sells at the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market. Produce left over from the markets is donated to community partners such as Harmony Community Cares in North Lawndale and local senior centers. 

Eleanor said that she started her new job eager to learn. “My manager even said that she’s been so proud of how much I’ve grown.”

In the off-season, Eleanor is able to tie in her market research background to the Wellness Associate role and survey neighborhood residents about the prospective neighborhood co-op or grocery store. 

Eleanor’s favorite part of her new job is getting to attend different community events with community partners, including the West Side United Collab Network. “This new career path is helping me to build my confidence as a leader, and will allow me to be happy in general because I know my contribution is making a difference to local food systems around Chicago,” she shared.

In the future, Eleanor will be using her Segal Americorps Education Award to sign up for the Illinois Gardeners training, which is the first step for her to become a Master Gardener.