Linda expresses her appreciation for the continuous learning environment that her nutrition education work with CCE has provided both her and her family (twin sons and 6 grandchildren!). “I really think I ‘lived’ what I learned about healthy eating and being physically active that has made me a healthier person,” she shares. As an example of how she practiced living what she learned, she shares how her perspective on physical activity changed through participation in the Strong Hearts for New York research collaboration between Cornell University, CCE, and Bassett Research Institute.  “I thought I was active, living on a dairy farm,” she says. But after working with this project that included aerobic and strength training along with nutrition education through healthy eating, Linda learned the power of adding regular strength training to her daily activities.

Linda witnessed, first-hand, the evolution of EFNEP and the nutrition education field. Drastic changes in technology over time directly impacted nutrition educators’ work. Linda recalls summarizing all notes, records, and curriculum by hand, to now being able to virtually teach entire class series. However, as one of the last counties to receive a computer, Linda notes that the most significant changes have not necessarily been in technology but in teaching style. She shares that through prioritizing dialogue-based curriculums that are evidence-based along with improved training for front-line staff and evaluation and assessment tools for tracking participant behavior change, CCE has distinguished itself as a valued community partner in public health. “Our grassroots approach and ability to facilitate collaborations…means we can have a lasting impact on participant behavior changes,” she highlights. Linda further explains, “We teach people ‘how to fish’ rather than just giving them ‘fish’…we also now look at the environment that families live in and how we can encourage them to work on changes that can impact healthy food choices and increase physical activity.”

Though there have been many success stories Linda could share, she focuses her response on one frontline educator: “A frontline staff person hired when I first started with CCE was one that comes to mind.  EFNEP was her first paid job. She came from a rural community; husband disabled; very low income; and had 4 children.  I remember staff helping her when she got her very first paycheck to budget for family groceries.  She had never been able to buy so much food!!!  She went on to become a healthcare facility administrator in NYC.  She credited working for CCE with giving her the confidence to go back to school and work toward her career goals.”

Linda’s passion and charisma is clear, and her pride in her work is evident as she articulates, “I did not have a ‘job’…it was a career; a way of life.” She stresses how important the role “community” played in her career, “It’s all about the people you work with and serve to use the training and experience you gain in a subject you love.  Pretty special if the stars align to make that happen. And so many times you don’t have control of all those pieces.  But I was very fortunate to have done it that long and still hated to give it up but knew the time was right.”

Cornell Chicken BBQ Sauce. https://yates.cce.cornell.edu/resources/cornell-chicken-barbecue-sauce-and-safe-chicken-barbecues

“That we all need to look at preventing health issues through a wellness approach every day.  We really ARE what we eat and what we do to be physically active and mentally healthy. Not easy in the environment(s) we face.”

“Overall…‘Work smarter, not harder.’ Try to make tasks–whether in the kitchen or any place else–easier, faster, and more efficient.  For example, I try to ‘cook once’ but ‘repurpose’ items into other meals by not having ‘left-overs’ but rather ‘planned overs.’”