Personal Reflection

 

My name is Kyra Levau and I am a sophomore at NC State University. I was the student leader on the Bateman family garden installation. This garden installation took a lot planning, fundraising and most of all team work. I have always been a team player and a good captain when needed, and it was an incredible experience leading so many people for the first time!

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At the start of my internship, I was nervous and eager. Nervous because this internship was a big leadership position but eager because of all the knowledge and experience I would gain through it. I knew that being nervous wasn’t a bad thing because it means I’m putting myself out there, on the path to new experiences. So I embraced my nervousness and channeled this energy towards becoming the best leader I could be.
 

Through this internship I have learned how to become a better leader in various ways. I have improved my communication skills (both written and verbal), I have worked with and lead people of all ages in this project (elementary to adult) and have more experience with outreach (such as fundraising, finding volunteers, etc.). I have further developed many desirable skills such as leadership, project management and most of all communication and collaboration.

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Click here to learn more about the skills I gained 

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Tara Batemon's Refection 

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This garden is simply amazing! We moved into our new house less than a year ago and I knew right away I wanted to plant a garden. Shamsa, Kyra, Dr. Patterson and the Victory Garden Network have helped to make my desire a reality! There is such great space in our backyard and we get a ton of sunlight throughout the day. Shamsa was very helpful prior to the garden project to guide me to prep our land to make it optimal for productive planting. It was a great experience working with the group of students who participated the day of the project. They were all very eager to help in any way and worked diligently to complete the project. My children were also very excited about this project and helped with adding and shoveling soil, building a compost bin and painting the cinder blocks that surround the garden. It was very beneficial for them to see the students participating in a project that helps others.

 

My family and I would like to thank the Victory Garden Network for helping us build and plant our beautiful garden and all the people who made donations to help purchase the plants, vegetables and materials. I would also like to thank my friend Tara who helped with everything, especially building the compost bin! 

We are looking forward to enjoying our garden harvest!

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Student Volunteer's Reflection

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  I was very excited when I found out that my World Populations and Food Prospects class was taking a field trip to volunteer with the Victory Garden Network in effort to plant a garden for a family in Southeast Raleigh.  As a student, it can be hard to give back to society, so we were all very thankful for this opportunity.  Kyra, the student leader for the garden installation, presented our class with an organized game plan in order to maximize our time and effort spent.  This allowed us to be prepared to start right when we arrived.  Even with a few challenges due to rain, we managed to plant a garden and create a composting area in a family's backyard.  I served on a team that painted some cinder blocks surrounding the garden, and this added color and curb appeal.  I was really proud of how our class and the other volunteers worked together on this project.  It was a joy to see the smiles on the faces of the two kids who lived at this home; they were incredibly eager to help and work alongside us.  This project was very inspirational because of the impact we made on the family by helping them.  Now, home gardens can spread through their neighborhood and provide a more sustainable lifestyle for everyone.