Elizabeth Edwards

School Nutrition Foundation Member Award-LAC 2026

Years in School Nutrition: 11 years

Students Served: 5,000

School Nutrition Association first-time attendee scholarship

Why School Nutrition?

I got into this profession to make a difference in kids’ lives with the goal of making school food healthier and introducing more good quality, whole food choices to them on a daily basis. 11 years later, this continues to be a driving force and the foundation of my “why”.

Key Takeaway

A surprising takeaway for me was the realization of how much work there is to do as far as advocacy. Attending the conference and seeing school food service professionals from all states was empowering and exciting; I wonder how much impact one day a year actually has. This is my key takeaway – not letting the advocacy start and stop with LAC.

The Impact of This Scholarship

After so many years in this field work, finally having the opportunity to attend this conference and see the legislative process firsthand as it relates to school food service was impactful. It was heartening to see the representation come together from each state and how many folks are behind the healthy school meals initiative. From this conference, I have taken empowerment to continue the advocacy at a local level as well as a national level and continue to educate and speak on our school food service programs.

Thank you to the scholarship sponsors for the opportunity to attend this importance conference. I am sincerely grateful for the existence of this scholarship and to have been selected as a recipient. Without the financial support provided from this scholarship, I would not have been able to attend. This has impacted my professional growth by introducing a new topic to my work, that of advocacy. I am now able to carry this experience with me and pour what I have learned into others.