Release: Seventh Class of Cynthia Hayes Scholarship Recipients Honor Her Legacy

Washington, DC, June 26, 2025 – The Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) announced that three students have been awarded the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship.  The three student awardees: Vicki Mines, Alaina Parr, and Mikelanj Ajinaku were each presented with $5,000 to support their continued work in sustainable agriculture and bolster their commitments to promoting racial equity in food and farm systems.

The scholarship was created as a tribute to SAAFON’s former director, the late Cynthia Hayes. Cynthia filled a key need for connection when she co-founded SAAFON, the first network for African American organic farmers in the US, and dedicated her life to serving communities in California, the Caribbean, and, of course, the Southeast. 

NSAC is one of many nonprofits that Cynthia enriched. She was a key inspiration for NSAC’s initiatives around racial equity in food and agriculture and an ally in NSAC’s effort to increase opportunities for young leaders of color in the sustainable food and agriculture movement. The scholarship program, now in its seventh year, aims to support Black and Indigenous students pursuing food systems careers.

“I am so proud of this year’s scholars! We received three times our typical volume of applications this year, and Vicki, Alaina, and Mikelanj absolutely shined. They each have already demonstrated a tenacious commitment to working to create a better future for farmers and communities, and I can’t wait to hear about what they do next,” said Tyler Edwards, NSAC Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator.

Biographies and statements from each of this year’s winners are included below:

Vicki Mines attends La Salle University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health. 

“I am a Philadelphia native, public health graduate student, and co-founder of Nriife Roots Collective, where we believe in reclaiming the means for nourishment through food sovereignty. I am a passionate advocate for food justice, leading community gardening and culturally relevant nutrition education through Brewerytown Garden. My work centers on transforming local food systems through education, equity, and access,” shared Vicki 

Alaina Parr is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is currently attending Northwestern University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Policy with a second major in History and a minor in Environmental Policy. Her original introduction to food systems work began during a gap year, when she spent time working on multiple farms in different parts of the country. Since then, she has integrated that found passion for agriculture and food access with her ongoing work in social and labor justice.

“I am passionate about alleviating barriers to fresh food access and reclaiming control over food systems for marginalized inner-city communities,” commented Alaina. “My current work focuses on urban agriculture as a pathway to accessible fresh food, and I aim to continue using my studies in policy and history to situate food insecurity within its broader systemic context and advocate for community based solutions grounded in resistance and care.” 

Mikelanj Ajinaku is a rising senior at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness.  

“I believe in the power of agriculture as a source of liberation, autonomy, and wellness within Black and marginalized communities. Through my studies with agroecology research, cooperative economics, and traditional herbal medicine, I’ve noticed how sustainable food systems and cultural knowledge can heal and empower. I want to reclaim agriculture as a path to sovereignty and community care, not just a profession. I’ve worked with the Lola Hampton-Frank Pinder Center for Agroecology and interned with the Innovation Learning Laboratory at Morehouse School of Medicine to help bridge agricultural business development, agroecological practice, and holistic wellness,” said Mikelanj.  

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net

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