Hey! My name is Caitlyn Alisauskas. I am a Greenfield Community College Alumna and Massachusetts resident, born and raised. My path has not been traditional- I had always told myself I would never go to college. I also happen to be a recovering addict, and am proud to be sober for 5 years and counting. It wasn’t until I got sober that I realized how much I really had to offer to my community and myself. I started off as a houseplant enthusiast, collecting all different varieties of plants. Tending to plants had become more than just a hobby and more of a fascination and yearning to learn more. I also became very interested in herbalism and its medicinal benefits. That’s when I decided that college was the move. I began my schooling journey at Greenfield Community College (GCC), and had plans for just one degree, an associate’s degree in Farm and Food Systems. I had only wanted to gain a little more knowledge on growing so I could live sustainably on my own, I wanted a homestead. But, like tattoos, I discovered one college degree just wasn’t enough.
My desire to learn more quickly snowballed over those two years and my advisor at the time, Anthony Reiber, had recommended the Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (REEU) internship that was offered over the summer at UMass. At the time I had been torn whether I wanted to do it or not, mainly because of personal setbacks, and this internship was research based, and I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to take on something like that, but I did. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program which not only gave me a deeper knowledge of plants and agriculture but also opened the door to new opportunities.
After graduating from GCC, I transferred officially to UMass Amherst where I am working on my bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Food and Farming at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. I have also returned to the REEU program as a mentor for the 2025 REEU cohort. In addition to mentoring the newest REEU cohort, I am also working with Elizabeth Garofalo, an Educator with the UMass Extension Fruit Team, to provide Extension and research services to Massachusetts apple growers. I have big hopes to continue building a career with UMass Extension.