by Abigayle Sloan, ’07

Two children played music with homemade instruments on the front porch of their home while police cars sped through the alley.

It was a Monday afternoon on the south side of Chicago. Police officers were trying to track down evidence from a shooting that took place 30 minutes earlier.

Shaniece Alexander, ’08, showed no alarm while police circled the block. She continued giving a tour of the Growing Home Inc. Wood Street Urban Farm, which is nestled between family homes on two small plots of land in the Englewood neighborhood.

“Our main mission is to help people find permanent work, and through that we give them hands-on work to do,” Alexander said. “It is paid, it is 14 weeks, and they are actually doing work for a product that’s being produced and sold to real customers.”

The site Alexander was standing on was, statistically, an unlikely location for any kind of business, especially a farm. From June to July, 353 crimes were recorded in Englewood. Forty-two percent of residents are living below the poverty line, according to the 2010 census.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture once considered the neighborhood a “food desert,” meaning it was a community that offers little to no fresh produce or meat and is mainly populated by fast-food and convenience stores.

The creation of the Wood Street Farm was a direct response to some of Englewood’s most crippling problems, the unemployment rate and limited access to nutritious food. The farm is one of several urban agriculture projects developed by Growing Home Inc. It was established on a two-thirds acre plot of land in 2008, and expanded to a vacant lot across the street in 2011. It is the first high production USDA-certified organic farm in Chicago. Produce is harvested almost every month; the grounds yield more than 24,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables annually.

Alexander said many people arrive at Growing Home Inc. with little confidence. Some have no job experience, have felony records, are on the path to recovery from addiction or are transitioning from homelessness. As the employment training manager, Alexander is responsible for recruiting Chicago residents to the job training program and helping them grow into productive citizens. The curriculum combines various farm work duties with classroom instruction, agricultural sciences, customer service training and job readiness.

“My personal, educational and professional experiences led me to my passion for social justice and I have found a great sense of excitement for advocating for underserved individuals, families and communities,” she said.

A native of Detroit, Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Grand Valley in 2008, and went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois. Although she has no formal training with farming, she credits her undergraduate experiences for giving her the self-assurance to step out of her comfort zone.

“Grand Valley helped me to build the confidence I need to try something new and do unconventional things, like work on a farm in Chicago,” she said.

Very few young professionals can be found in the Englewood neighborhood, but Alexander has embraced the community. She has built relationships with the neighbors and police officers, who stop by regularly to keep her updated on what’s happening in the area. “At the end of the day, what I’m most happy about is being able to help individuals not only learn how to farm but be successful in other jobs and in life,” she said.

It is not unusual to see Alexander giving tours to news reporters or city officials like Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But she said it is her Growing Home family — people once incarcerated who are now productive citizens and harvesters who were once homeless — who truly keep her grounded.

Ryan Slusarzyk, ’08, will receive the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award on December 6.

Slusarzyk is an active member of the Seidman College of Business Alumni Association and is involved with dozens of Grand Rapids community organizations. He also has been a financial supporter of the L. William Seidman Center and the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. President Thomas J. Haas will present Slusarzyk with the award at the fall commencement ceremony.

Alumni Golf Outing

The Alumni Golf Outing on July 19 raised more than $7,000 for the Grand Valley Fund.

Young Alumni at the West Michigan Whitecaps

The Young Alumni Council hosted its annual summer gathering at a West Michigan Whitecaps game in July.

Alumni fundraiser

Rockin’ on the River, an ’80s themed event, raised $1,400 for the GVSU Pathways Scholarship in August.

Latin@ Alumni Chapter Kick-Off

The Latin@ Alumni Chapter held its first reception on August 28 at the top of Riverhouse condos in Grand Rapids.

The group shared ideas for upcoming Latin@ alumni events. Latin@ is a gender-neutral term that refers to both men and women of Latin American descent.

GVSU vs. Azusa Football Alumni tailgate

Alumni traveled to California to cheer on the Laker football team for the season opener on September 4 against Azusa Pacific University.

Freshmen Move-In

A record number of alumni volunteers returned to Allendale during August move-in. More than 130 alumni helped first-year students get settled into living centers during welcome week.