Meet Basic Needs and Student Support Graduate Intern Stacy Ann Cameron-Roberts
Stacy Ann Cameron-Roberts is an international graduate student majoring in Nutritional Science and Dietetics and a graduate intern in the Basic Needs and Student Support department. She has worked in the department for eight months as part of the CalFresh Healthy Living Project team.
After graduation, Stacy Ann wants to open her own practice in her native country Jamaica and work as a clinical dietitian, specializing in diabetes. At her practice, she plans to focus on disease prevention.
“I am happy I found Basic Needs, and Basic Needs opened their arms to me,” said Stacy Ann.
In her role, she conducts food demonstration classes with nutrition lessons. Each class is tailored to college students and is hands-on. The students are given the opportunity to prepare their meals during each class session.
“I am doing the nutrition and education aspect of CalFresh,” said Stacy Ann. “We offer different workshops to students on campus on how to utilize the resources that they have to live better, eat healthier, sleep better, and be more successful in their academic achievements.”
In addition, she helps students fill out their CalFresh applications.
Stacy Ann wants students to know about the many services and resources Basic Needs and Student Support provides them at CSUSB. Students can stop by the Obershaw DEN to get a snack or groceries, attend a nutrition class, or pick up free hygiene items.
The department can be broken down into three key areas: food security, housing security, and financial stability. Basic Needs and Student Support provides the following services:
Housing Security
- Short term emergency housing
Food Security
- The Obershaw DEN
- PDC DEN Food Pantry
- CalFresh
Financial Security
- Grant programs
Recently, the CalFresh team partnered with Associated Students, Inc. to conduct their food demonstration classes in the Coyote Garden, and students were able to use the garden’s fresh herbs in their recipes.
According to Stacy Ann, students were able to pick their own herbs from the garden, and right on the spot, the CalFresh team educated the students on how they could use the herbs in salads and in salad dressings.
“I believe it's a very resourceful service that everyone should try and take use of,” said Stacy Ann. “The best part about the job is to educate students on how to use the little that they have in a healthy way to help them be successful in their academics.”
Stay connected and follow Basic Needs and Student Support on Instagram @CSUSBBasicNeeds and @CSUSBBasicNeeds_PDC to find out about upcoming events and resources.