Some Heroes Wear Bike Helmets
When you walk into Shannon’s office, you can always spot three things: a bright yellow bicycle helmet, a picture of her family in a wooden frame, and a phone that is constantly ringing. As the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program Supervisor and mother of two, Shannon Klisch is as busy as the bees that pollinate her backyard bucket garden. When she’s not analyzing program operations or coordinating nutrition classes, you can find Shannon empowering her co-workers and offering a helping hand whenever needed.
Fascinated by medical systems across the world, Shannon graduated from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Anthropology and Communications. Her passions for helping underserved communities prompted her to receive her Masters in Public Health at San Jose State University. Prior to working in the nutrition field, Shannon worked with reproductive health and perinatal substance use prevention programs. Being exposed to a variety of different perspectives is one of the reasons why Shannon is good at what she does. Cultural competence and empathy are invaluable tools in the world of public health, and are at the foundation of Shannon’s character.
Since the CalFresh Nutrition Education Program is implemented in school districts, I found myself in classrooms, school gardens, and cafeterias throughout my rotation. Whenever I walk into a school lunchroom, I get hit with a wave of nostalgia. The clacking of cafeteria trays, buzzing of conversations, and smell of macaroni feels all too familiar. It seems like yesterday I was swapping recess stories with my friends over peanut butter sandwiches and carrot sticks.
For Shannon, school lunch reminds her of why she is so invested in programs like CalFresh. Growing up, Shannon benefited from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritionally balanced low-cost/free lunches to schools across the United States. If Shannon didn’t have the fuel she needed to power her brain throughout the school day, she may not be in the position she is today. Prime examples like these are proof of how investing in nutrition programs for our children is an investment for our future.
As a dietetic intern, I find myself worrying about being an extra responsibility for organizations that are already swamped with work. Throughout my experience at the UC Cooperative Extension, Shannon treated me with all of the respect and gratitude that she gives her employees (which is a lot!). She would thoughtfully answer all of my questions and give me thorough feedback despite having a long list of time-sensitive deadlines. Her eagerness to listen to all of my stories (big and small) and willingness to share her own is why Shannon is so impactful. I wholeheartedly appreciate the wisdom Shannon passed down to me, and look forward to utilizing her sage advice in my future pursuits.
When we think of superheroes, images of crime fighting characters in neon tights and rippling capes typically come to mind. In reality, superheroes are sitting amongst and within us. Some heroes wear stethoscopes and scrub suits. Others simply wear a smile. And some heroes, like Shannon, wear bicycle helmets on their commute to save the day.