Able Bodies, Empty Stomachs

Originally from Northwest Florida, Kalena graduated from Louisiana State University in 2014 with degrees in political science and English. After college, Kalena served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she worked on economic development through “Bank On Baton Rouge,” a program increasing access to banks and credit unions for low-income people. At LSU, Kalena worked on coastal restoration and poverty issues as a Louisiana Service and Leadership scholar, led the LSU International Relations Club, and co-directed a college immersion program for students from under-resourced high schools. Her undergraduate research focused on welfare policies, and she wrote her Honors thesis on social capital and the social mobility of post-TANF Louisiana women.