The Greensboro Watchman is proud to help introduce this year’s Project Horseshoe Farm Fellows. The Fellows will live and work in Greensboro and Hale County for the next year supporting the work of Project Horseshoe Farm throughout the community.
Hailing from Augusta, Georgia and attending the University of Georgia, Marina is a die-hard Bulldogs Fan! Although SEC football has turned her against the Crimson Tide, she is eager to put aside her football prejudices and immerse herself in the tight-knit Greensboro community. She is particularly excited to recognize friends and acquaintances while driving through town. Marina is a dedicated student who studied Genetics as an undergraduate. When she isn’t studying, she loves to play tennis and trivia. She also thrives when sharing her love of learning with younger students, and she is particularly excited to mentor the Greensboro Elementary School students during her fellowship year. Born to parents who immigrated from Egypt, Marina was thrilled to hear about Abadir’s, a pastry shop in Greensboro that melds the flavors of Egypt and the South. Learning about this local business made her feel welcomed into the rich cultural tapestry of West Central Alabama!
Hermela comes to us from Duluth, Georgia, and her family is originally from Eritrea. She studied Biology and Arabic at the University of Georgia, and she plans to attend medical school next year. Spending time outside with friends and family is one of her favorite activities, but she has been known to score on her own team once or twice when playing sports! Hermela has a sweet tooth that matches her personality, and she is really looking forward to getting to know all the bakeries in the area. She is always wanting to try new things, including learning how to ride a bike and getting better at embroidery. In Greensboro this year, Hermela is most excited to be living in a small town and getting to know everyone!
Introducing Fedra Britvic, a Walnut Creek, CA native and graduate from UC Berkeley, where she studied Landscape Architecture. Fedra is an avid reader, a crossword protégé, and a star on the volleyball court. She has one older brother and hopes to adopt a Dalmatian one day (name pending, suggestions welcome). Fun fact: One thing that Dalmatians and Fedra share in common is that they are both Croatian! Fedra is quite the world traveler and has been to every continent except Antarctica, though she eventually plans to check that off her list, too. She is planning on attending medical school next year, where she will be able to build on the skills she acquired as an EMT in the 911 system. Here in Greensboro, Fedra would be delighted to try every flavor of Blue Bell ice cream.
Irish dancer and double dutch jump roper, Mackenzie Christensen played varsity soccer at Hamilton College and is ready to take her skills to Wednesday night frisbee. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Mackenzie studied public policy and women’s & gender studies in college, and she’s excited to learn more about community health this year before deciding her next steps. She makes an excellent pancake, but is looking to expand her cooking expertise and would love to try recipes from community members. Mackenzie is the kind of person that makes you feel at home immediately, and she can be found watching crime shows and checking out books from the local library. She cannot wait to learn more about Greensboro and the people that call it a home!C
You will recognize this Asheville, North Carolina native by her beautiful smile and collection of fun earrings! Chloe studied Chemistry at Davidson College and was in the same graduating class as Stephen Curry! She hopes to go to medical school and become a physician in the future, and she is excited to join and learn from the wonderful community in Greensboro. You can count on Chloe to be closing her eyes and ducking from oncoming frisbees but she is such a fun teammate to have around. She loves hiking, reading, making ceramics and embroidering (just wait until she brings out her embroidered jean jacket in October). She is excited to meet everyone in the community and explore many local eateries!
The smiley new Fellow cruising on her bike down Main Street is none other than Emma Ellis, though she prefers to go by her college nickname, Ellis. Ellis is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and the middle child of three. She studied genetics at the University of Georgia where she developed a newfound love for SEC football. She is excited for the upcoming college football season though her team alliances may not align with much of the Greensboro community. Ellis loves the outdoors and is looking forward to exploring all that West Alabama has to offer. She likes to read and would love to participate in a local book club or talk to community members about the books they are reading. She is also a big fan of podcasts. In the future, Ellis hopes to attend medical school focusing on promoting women’s health. During her time in Greensboro, she is most excited to connect with everyone and looks forward to the point where she can enter a new space and know the majority of people in that room. Make sure to wave to Ellis if you pass her on her bike. She’ll give you a big smile and a wave back!
Sonja is a new fellow from Miami, Florida. She is very excited and feels lucky that she was chosen to live in Greensboro, AL for a year. Upon first arriving in Greensboro, she thought the city looked beautiful and was excited to explore the town and surrounding areas. Sonja’s family is Serbian and consists of her brother and two parents. Sonja enjoys learning and making memories with her family and friends and hopes to learn from the people within Greensboro. Recently, Sonja finished her undergraduate studies at Amherst College and studied Anthropology and Biochemistry. In her free time Sonja enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time with loved ones. A book she would recommend everyone to read is “The Over Story” by Richard Powers and “Braiding SweetGrass” by Robin Kimmerer. Sonja wants to choose a career where she is given the opportunity to meet others and learn their story. She is interested in learning what a community looks like in a smaller town and gaining the skills to foster relationships. Finally, Sonja’s favorite color is green, and after completing a year in Greensboro she hopes that her health partners have felt loved and welcomed in their relationship.
Please give a warm welcome to Ally Lehmann! Ally hails from Pennsylvania, though her family (including two dogs, both shih tzus) calls Richmond, VA home. In college at the University of Virginia, Ally studied Biology and Kinesiology and did research on gait and mobility in UVA’s Motion Analysis and Moto Performance Lab. An avid gymnast since the age of 3, Ally also participated in UVA’s Club Gymnastics team. Right now, you might see Ally running around town, as she’s preparing for a marathon over the course of the year. When it comes to food, Ally prefers tea over coffee any day of the week; she also has a sweet tooth and is especially excited about trying Thomas’ fabled pie recipes. Ally is a friendly, generous, active, and go-with-the-flow person, and she can’t wait to get to know Greensboro. As she applies to medical school, Ally is so grateful to be here and learn about community health and wellbeing with Project Horseshoe Farm!
Traveling all the way from Mentor, Ohio (a suburb outside of Cleveland), Tommy is excited to make Greensboro home for the next year! At home, he loves hanging out with his three brothers and his border collie named Mocha. He recently graduated from the University of Rochester where he majored in political science, and he plans to go back for medical school after this year. He hopes to become a primary care physician and focus on endof- life care or geriatrics. A fun fact about Tommy is that he was in an acapella group in college and is very skilled in beatboxing. Tommy also likes to stay active as he ran cross country and track in college and was also a competitive spike ball player. He is really looking forward to joining everyone on Wednesday nights for frisbee! You also might find him at the Stable or exploring other local coffee shops in the area. Tommy can’t wait to get to know more people and experience life in Greensboro!
Jumoke (pronounced Jew-mo-keh) comes to Greensboro after completing her degree in Biology at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. With her family currently living in Oxford, Birmingham, and Mobile, Jumoke is excited to be staying close to home! In her free time, you can find Jumoke watching movies (she recommends King Richard) or dancing— specifically to Nigerian or Latin music. Her favorite food is plantains, which is fitting because her favorite color is yellow! Jumoke plans to build relationships, be intentional in all her interactions, and join local church communities while she’s here. Jumoke feels like being a Horseshoe Farm Fellow really aligns with her values and is excited to become part of the community!
From New Lenox, Illinois, Lauren is a 2022 college graduate from Rice University where she degree in Health Sciences. In her spare time, she loves to swim, try out new baking recipes and relax with a good book to read. Lauren has two brothers, one older and one younger, and two dogs named Sunny and Snowy. She hopes to attend medical school in the future with interest in the fields of oncology or ophthalmology. In the coming year, Lauren is excited to meet local community members, spend time with her health partners and has a goal of trying every flavor of pie offered by Greensboro Pie!
Coming all the way from her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lila Williams is a recent Harvard graduate who is excited to explore the culture, lifestyle, and food of the South. In college, she studied Human Evolutionary Biology and Anthropology and spent time researching healthcare in Amish and Mennonite communities. Her love of small, tight-knit communities inspired her to continue her work here in Greensboro. When she isn’t entertaining the room with her lively conversational skills, she can be found wowing a crowd with her amazing singing voice. Lila has done choir since middle school and sang in an a capella group in college called The Radcliffe Pitches. While in Greensboro, she hopes to discover new sights by way of her running shoes, so be sure to say hi if you see her jogging down Main Street! Lila also enjoys trivia, mentoring students, and cooking. Before she leaves, she hopes to learn the art of southern cooking so she can bring a taste of Greensboro with her wherever she goes.
