We are excited to welcome Tommy Oddo into our team! Tommy is joining us as a Graduate Research Assistant, and you can read more about him in the interview below.
- What project will you be working on, and what is your role?
Nourishing Power Network, as a Graduate Research Assistant supporting the Fellowship, Networking, and Advisory Council components.
- Where are you from?
Home for me is Northeast Ohio! I was born in Cleveland and raised in Mentor, a nearby Cleveland suburb.
- What is your background?
In college, I was a pre-med student studying Political Science at the University of Rochester; I held several clinical volunteering and research roles and gained experiences working with different non-profit organizations in Rochester. Post-graduation, I volunteered with a community health non-profit in rural Alabama, providing relationship-based support to individuals, groups, and institutions in Hale County. Coming to Swetland, my background is in healthcare, community health and development, and capacity building within non-profit agencies.
- What excites you about joining the Swetland Center?
I think the Swetland Center works at the intersection of many of my MSW student interests: organizing, community-engaged research, and environmental justice. As someone new to working in both social work and food equity, I’m excited to learn from Clevelanders about the food system and their visions for transforming it, so Nourishing Power will be an especially informative project for me.
- What is your favorite outdoor space in Cleveland or a place you want to explore?
My favorite green space in Cleveland is the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve on Lakeshore Blvd. A few friends introduced me to it back in August, and it’s remained my go-to running route. It’s a beautiful, protected space to walk, run, bird watch, read a book, or just be. And it sits right on the lake, so there’s a lookout point with a gorgeous view of the Cleveland skyline.
- What is a piece of advice you have been given or a quote/statement that is significant to you?
“To love well is the task in all meaningful relationships, not just romantic bonds.”- Bell Hooks
This ethos sticks with me, especially when I think about love for community and what that looks like in practice.