Student Leadership at the Heart of The Tackle Box

When students step into The Tackle Box today-selecting food, clothing, or essential items-they are seeing a vision that grew from lived student experience and student leadership.

The addition of a food pantry to Muskingum's existing clothing closet and bare essentials area was the idea of senior Kylie Andres, a John and Annie Glenn (JAG) Public Service Fellow who noticed a gap many students quietly navigate every day.

"I knew the need was there," Andres says. "Athletes missing meals because of practice, students with night classes, commuters, students without cars-there were so many situations where people needed food, even if they technically had a meal plan."

For Andres, the issue was both personal and widely observed. She grew up in a household where finances were sometimes tight and remembers relying on free school lunches. As a student-athlete herself, she experienced firsthand how long practices, late classes, and limited dining hall hours can leave students without access to food when they need it most.

The idea for a food pantry took shape through conversations with Chaplain Derek Wadlington, who had experience working with campus food pantries elsewhere. Together, they began imagining what a student-centered, stigma-free resource could look like at Muskingum-one that complemented existing support rather than isolating it.

Andres took the lead on turning that idea into reality. She helped design and distribute a campus-wide survey-working with a sociology class to gather data-to better understand where needs existed and how students, staff, and faculty experienced food insecurity. She sorted donations, assembled shelves, organized supplies, and helped manage the pantry through its earliest stages.

"Data mattered," Andres explains. "I wanted to hear from everyone-commuters, staff, faculty, students-because I knew there were perspectives I didn't have."

From the beginning, she envisioned the food pantry as part of a larger, integrated space. Housing food alongside clothing and hygiene items makes access easier and reduces stigma. Students can enter the space for many reasons-meeting with Chaplain Derek or professional clothing, picking up toiletries, or grabbing food-without having to explain why they are there.

"That was really important to me," she says. "People don't have to justify their need. They don't even have to define it."

Today, seeing students use the pantry-often without her direct involvement-is one of the most meaningful outcomes of her work. Empty shelves, she says, are a sign of success.

"It's nice to see it empty," Andres reflects. "That means people are using it. That means it's doing what it's supposed to do."

As a JAG Fellow, Andres credits the program with helping her recognize how personal interests, community needs, and leadership can intersect. The fellowship encourages students to notice overlooked issues, ask hard questions, and act.

"This opportunity wouldn't have happened without JAG," she says. "It helped me realize I'm capable of creating change that's bigger than just me."

As Andres prepares to graduate, she is focused on ensuring the food pantry continues to grow-supporting student-athletes, expanding awareness, and exploring new ways to educate students about resources like SNAP benefits.

Even if future students never know her name, Andres is content knowing the impact will remain.

"I get to come back and see it," she says. "I get to know I helped build something that made it easier for students not just to survive-but to thrive."