Think... that could be a garden right there : Shiaoching (Ching) Tse

First and Last Name

Shiaoching (Ching) Tse

Current place of residence

Apex, NC

What is your current occupation/work?

I currently attend North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and am the President of my own non-profit, The Food Ark (www.thefoodark.org). TFA is a non-profit that is currently based in schools to create healthier and more sustainable food systems to curb food insecurity. We are working on larger projects that affect whole cities and communities right now.

When and where did you work with Maurice?

2014 (6 months) in Raleigh, NC

What kind of work did you do when you worked with Maurice?

I visited and blogged about many organizations and efforts currently in the Raleigh area that are working to create healthier food systems. The blog is thefoodark.blogspot.com. Such organizations include CompostNOW, YMCA, and Community Food Lab. Maurice also helped me restore and create an organic garden, compost bin, and greenhouse at Enloe High School - my previous high school.

What kind of growth/transformation happened for you (and/or for the people you served) because of your work with Maurice?

Interning with Maurice has enlightened me on how everything in this world is connected, whether it be food systems or life in general. My experiences with Maurice have taught me to implement solutions to problems that are capable of attacking many areas simultaneously. From this changed outlook was the birth of The Food Ark - an organization with a model for clubs at schools that connects and utilizes the whole school in the community food system. I cannot express the appreciation and admiration I have for Maurice in what he does and in how much his passion for equality influences those around him.

How has working with Maurice benefitted you and/or uplifted you?

Working alongside Maurice has taught me both hard-skills - gardening, composting, etc. - but also soft-skills. His passion and enthusiasm for what he does showed me that if I also express my passion and enthusiasm, then people will react.

What would you say to someone who is interested in working with Maurice in the future?

Change and influence may not come in the form of conspicuous progress. I will assure you that, with working alongside Maurice, it comes in the form of deep feeling and the small steps towards laying down infrastructure for future works.

Memories and Stories

I have too many memories and stories to tell... I think the one thing that I really remember is how, at any point, Maurice was able to look around him at his surroundings and say: "Think... that could be a garden right there. There could be food growing right there."

A Few Words…

As I said earlier, I believe that Maurice works to create infrastructure. Infrastructure is the first step towards anything, but it is also the hardest step to get going. It is truly amazing how working with him for a mere 6 months has snowballed my efforts into many more projects.