Leslie Gomez Rivera used to skip lunch, hiding in the library to avoid the chaos of her Brooklyn high school cafeteria. The food felt bland, the space overwhelming, and eating there came with a quiet shame. But at 16, Rivera turned her frustration into action — and helped spark a citywide shift in how New York City students eat.
She joined Youth Food Advocates (YFA), a program run by Community Food Advocates that trains students to improve school meals. Rivera created a survey for her peers at Midwood High School, asking what they really wanted: what foods they liked, why they avoided the cafeteria, and what would bring them back. About 100 students responded. The results were eye-opening. While many disliked the overall menu, they praised items like popcorn chicken, fruit, salads, and sauces. They also craved more familiar home-cooked dishes and better food quality.
Rivera took the data straight to her cafeteria manager and principal. The manager, surprised but eager to listen, admitted that cafeteria use had dropped sharply since the pandemic. Together, they began making changes. Rivera worked with the student leadership team to spread the word: the new menu was here, the space was reopening. Slowly, students returned.
Her effort was part of a larger movement. YFA students helped design a toolkit for revamping school cafeterias, suggesting deli-style food stations that let students see and choose their meals faster, cutting long lines. They pushed for cozier seating to make lunch feel less like a rush and more like a break. By December 2025, over 200 New York City school cafeterias had been redesigned using these ideas. In high schools with updated spaces, lunch participation jumped by 35 percent, according to Community Food Advocates’ analysis of city data.
Experts say student voices are essential. "They are the ones eating the food every day," says Pamela Koch of Columbia University’s Tisch Center for Food, Education and Policy. Researcher Wendi Gosliner calls student advocacy a vital "bridge" between cafeteria staff and the people they serve — especially since kitchen teams work under tight budgets and strict federal rules.
Rivera’s journey didn’t just change her school. It changed her. "They provided me not only with the information and the tools, but they empowered me to advocate for myself," she says. Now, more students are sitting down to lunch — and more are realizing that their voices can reshape the world around them.