My name is Jenna Hawkes, and I am BikeMN’s new communications and advocacy intern! I am excited to use my love of the outdoors to engage with BikeMN’s mission of promoting equitable engagement and enhancing the safety of biking, walking, and public transportation in the Twin Cities. I hope to use my role at BikeMN to transform environmental consciousness in people’s lives into something accessible and enjoyable.
I am originally from Upland, California where I grew up hiking in the San Antonio mountains and biking through the hilly, sycamore-lined streets. I moved to Saint Paul in 2021 to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies, Food Systems, and Spanish at Macalester College.
Most of my work experience comes from time spent on both educational and produce-oriented farms. I began volunteering on a polycultural urban farm in high school. This led to my work during the past summer at a farm camp where I taught campers how to raise all kinds of animals ranging from chickens to donkeys as well as grow their own food in the California redwood forest. I am a passionate believer in the importance of access to fresh food and food equity. Other leadership and work experience of mine includes the organization of local activism, childcare, food service, and ecological lab work.
I am super passionate about music and have been writing my own songs on piano and guitar since I was about 9 years old. I have loved having access to the music scene in the Twin Cities and being a part of the local musical community. My other hobbies include rock climbing, salsa dancing, and cooking!
I am super excited to work with BikeMN. Having never experienced snow before moving to the Twin Cities, I offer a unique perspective on the challenges of accessing the Minnesotan outdoors during winter. My primary goals during the duration of my internship are to help further BikeMN’s connection to the local biking and nonprofit community, expand the scope of our audience and simultaneously the demographics of who gets to enjoy biking in the Twin Cities, and finally to help design legislative campaigns that make the Twin Cities more accessible and safe for bikers.