Polina “Polly” Panasenko ’28 is an ambitious first-year planning to double major in English and Political Science with a minor in Journalism. Originally from Ukraine, Panasenko has a long history of community engagement. She taught English at the National Children’s Hospital in Kyiv and, when she moved to Maine, she continued providing English lessons to child refugees. She has also volunteered with various organizations to support affordable housing initiatives through cleaning and construction projects. Upon moving to the U.S. as an international student, Panasenko became increasingly concerned about the issue of food insecurity, a problem she describes as “alarming” especially at CC. She has known friends to skip meals and pursue part-time jobs alongside their rigorous studies to meet their nutritional needs. She is now combining her passion for community service and concerns around food insecurity in her newsletter, The Meal Plan Guard.
The Meal Plan Guard, an online publication highlighting events and opportunities on campus and featuring informational and opinion pieces, began as an assignment for her Block 3 class, Inbox Journalism: Writing for Newsletters. The course, taught by Professor Corey Hutchins, covered the history and recent popularity of newsletter journalism, how to write for the medium, and how to find success in the field of inbox journalism. Panasenko says her newsletter serves many purposes–to connect students to resources and free food, to highlight upcoming events and opportunities, to bring attention to important topics, and to provide a space for her to practice writing and publishing. She is dedicated to pursuing her journalistic interest and wants to use her platform to assist students experiencing food insecurity. The Meal Plan Guard aims to benefit students by providing them with opportunities to get free food, and to benefit faculty and staff by directing students to their events and programs, creating a cycle of on-campus engagement and support.
In her most recent issue, Panasenko shared a guide to claim Meal Plan Vouchers and discussed the unfortunate cancellation of a student mental health training offered through the Wellness Resource Center. Assistant Director of Campus Activities Erika Perry-Tuitel explained the vouchers would be available at the end of each semester to applicants and would cover meals at Rastall. Panasenko followed her interview with advice to prospective applicants. Staff at the WRC informed her that the training had been canceled due to low engagement, despite Panasenko’s efforts to spotlight the training which incentivized participation with free lunches.
Panasenko plans to publish monthly on Substack and is wary of “corporate influence” but open to accepting submissions. She will continue to connect with students, faculty, and staff in departments across campus to spotlight opportunities to build community and combat food insecurity.