Soup & Hope storytelling series to start Jan. 29

An undergraduate who authored a children's book about spotted salamander migrations, a faculty expert in food justice and a staff member who developed programs to help teenagers manage stress are among the storytellers who will share personal experiences of resilience, accompanied by a free meal of soup and bread, during the Soup & Hope speaker series.

The series, now in its 19th year, is open to the public; no registration is needed. The talks will take place at Sage Chapel every other Thursday from Jan. 29 through March 26, from noon to 1 p.m.

"Soup & Hope brings the Cornell campus and local community together throughout the dark and cold winter months through shared storytelling and a meal," said Jennifer Austin, director of Cornell Health's Skorton Center for Health Initiatives and longtime Soup & Hope planning committee member. "While each story shared during the series is unique, the universal themes of growth, discovery and meaningful connection reflect the core principles of our Health Promoting Campus."

As a Health Promoting Campus, Cornell is committed to hosting programming that helps create and sustain a diverse, welcoming and inclusive campus culture.

The series' opening speaker, Michelle Van-Ess Grant, senior associate dean of students and director of the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging, has spent more than two decades working in student support. Her work is informed by her lived experience as the child of immigrants and her commitment to creating spaces where people, especially those historically marginalized, feel seen and supported.

Van-Ess Grant will talk about her experiences navigating leadership, loss and motherhood, and finding purpose while learning to give herself grace. She will reflect on what it means to lead with care and authenticity, even when the path forward is unclear.

"My story is unfinished, and that is both humbling and hopeful," Van-Ess Grant said. "I hope people leave feeling affirmed that they do not need to have everything figured out to be worthy, impactful or at peace-and that rest, reflection and community are essential parts of becoming."
The full series:

• Jan. 29: Michelle Van-Ess Grant, senior associate dean of students and director, Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging
• Feb. 12: Basil Safi, M.Eng. '24, executive director, David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement;
• Feb. 26: Emily Dunuwila, health initiatives coordinator, Skorton Center for Health Initiatives;
• March 12: Trisha Bhujle '26, an environment and sustainability major, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and
• March 26: Angela Odoms-Young, the Nancy Schlegel Meinig Associate Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition, Cornell Human Ecology.

Soup, provided by Cornell Catering, is available starting at noon; talks begin at 12:15 p.m. and each event concludes around 12:45 p.m. While the series is held in Sage Chapel, the events are not affiliated with a religious organization.

The Soup & Hope series is co-sponsored by the Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making, part of the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging; Human Resources; Cornell Healthand Cornell Catering.

Laura Gallup is a communications lead in Student and Campus Life.