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When Tristan Davis ’25 first visited 91����, it was the small classes and close faculty relationships that drew him in. But what he found in his four years as a student extended well beyond the classroom: a deep connection to the community, an opportunity to engage in meaningful local work, and, ultimately, the inspiration to pursue a graduate degree abroad in the growing field of environmental humanities. 

 Originally from San Bruno, California, Davis, a sociology major, found a second home in 91����, one rooted in shared labor, local food systems, and mutual care. 

Davis's journey into community-engaged work began the summer after his second year, when he decided to stay in town and work at a local food initiative that connects producers with consumers through an online market and supports low-income households with donated produce. 

That summer internship became a turning point.  What began as a summer internship soon developed into a service leadership work-study position supported by the Center for Careers, Life, and Service, allowing him to continue contributing to the organization in a more sustained and intentional way.

“Tommy Hexter ’21, 91���� Farm to Table’s executive director, sort of just took me on right away,” Davis recalls. “That summer I interned with them from June to August, and then I worked there again when I got back from my year abroad.” 

The work was hands-on and diverse: helping local producers on their farms, coordinating logistics at a newly secured space in town, and distributing food through the market and donation programs. It was practical, relationship-driven work that gave Davis a window into how small-scale efforts can drive big change. 

“It was just sort of the sweet spot in terms of the type of action that I wanted to take and the scale of action,” he says. 

At the heart of 91���� Farm to Table’s mission is equitable access to food, a cause Davis became deeply invested in. Through weekly and biweekly deliveries, the initiative provided fresh produce not only to paying customers but also to low-income residents via food boxes. 

“I think they mainly reach low-income people through a referral basis,” Davis explains. “Either through food pantries or through doctors or churches.” 

This experience wasn't just about logistics; it was about people — learning their stories, understanding their needs, and recognizing the social systems that shape food access. 

“It was working with the producers directly as well,” he says. “We’d go out and help on their farms and just learn about their operation and how they got into what they were doing.” 

Bridging Communities  

After studying abroad in France during his junior year, Davis knew he wanted to return. Today, he’s studying at the in pursuit of a master’s degree in environmental humanities, an interdisciplinary program blending environmental science, philosophy, and policy. 

“It’s an interdisciplinary study,” he says. “We have classes from all angles: biology, environmental science, earth systems science, to more philosophical like constructing nature, and social psychology.” 

What connects it all is Davis's desire to put theory into practice and his interest in bridging communities — between scientists and policymakers, farmers and consumers.  Just as he learned to do working with the community through 91���� Farm to Table.

“I want to do smaller-scale community organizing to create interdependence between people,” he explains. “I think through interdependence, a community can have more autonomy and more power to live the way they want.” 

Though he’s not sure exactly where his graduate studies will lead him, Davis is clear that he wants to build community connections and foster interdependence, and that his future lies in connecting people and helping them rely on one another in meaningful, sustainable ways. 

“While I don’t know exactly what role I will play yet, I like that smaller-scale community building and organizing to create interdependence between people, and that will definitely be part of what I continue to do,” he says. “I’m hoping to find an internship with an agricultural or urban agricultural organization or some sort of local farm initiative and just see where that takes me.”