Local Engineering Student Discovers Community

In Guyana, South America, where I grew up, coconut trees and aquatic water lilies are everywhere. Both of my parents were agriculturists, so it's probably no surprise that I developed a love for plants from a young age. If you had asked me a few years ago whether I'd spend part of my summer working at a community garden through the Engage Chicago program, I probably would've smiled and said, "That sounds about right."

Engineering has a funny way of taking over your life. During the school year at Northwestern, my weeks are usually filled with lectures, labs, office hours, and more homework than I'd like to admit. Most of my time is spent thinking about equations, design projects, and problem sets—not exactly stopping to admire flowers or spend an afternoon outside. Engage Chicago has given me the opportunity to "touch grass" both literally and figuratively, while learning about the people and neighborhoods that make Chicago what it is.

Over the past two weeks at Maxwell Street Community Garden, I've realized that the garden is about so much more than growing vegetables and flowers. It's a community hub where relationships are built, ideas are shared, and partnerships come together to create something much larger than any one organization could accomplish alone.

One of the biggest surprises has been seeing just how much collaboration happens behind the scenes. Before starting this internship, I imagined community events being planned by a small team over a few emails. Instead, I've sat in meetings with community partners, helped create outreach materials, reviewed partnership agreements, and watched conversations unfold between organizations that all have different goals but a shared desire to serve the neighborhood. There is a surprising amount of coordination, communication, and yes—even bureaucracy—that goes into making a single event happen. It's a side of nonprofit work that most visitors probably never see.

As an engineering student, I'm used to solving technical problems with clear constraints and measurable outcomes. Community work is different. Success depends on trust, communication, and relationships that often take months or years to build. That's been one of the most valuable lessons I've learned so far.

With more than a month still ahead, I'm excited to continue  learning—not just about nonprofit work, but about the Near West Side community, the people who make Maxwell Street Community Garden possible, and how meaningful change often starts with people simply showing up for one another. I came into this internship expecting to learn about a garden. Instead, I'm learning how communities grow.

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