Andrew Li

  

Volume 10 | Issue I | March 2026

Germantown Friends School ’26

Pennsylvania, United States

  

Food is central to each of our lives. Yet, as I reflected on the ingredients that fill our tables, cabinets, and stomachs, I realized how little we consider their production and histories. I was drawn to vanilla because it seemed both ordinary and extraordinary. A taste so familiar and sweet, vanilla was (and remains) one of the most labor-intensive and valuable crops in the world. When researching Papantla, Mexico, the place where vanilla was first produced and sold, I began to see some of the rarely discussed negative effects of food commodities. These consequences—including Indigenous dispossession, exploitative labor tenancy, and the erasure of generations of culture—showed me the other side of the picture that global markets often obscure. Writing for The Schola has challenged me to understand how to piece together these nuances into a narrative and to approach historical work as an ongoing piece of work. The editing and revision process has taught me to write rigorously while illuminating the human experience, and to consider various perspectives, especially those of the often-overlooked. Outside of my writing, I still explore how cultures and systems affect the people around me. Whether playing for the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, traveling with my debate team, or volunteering at the Laurel House (a domestic violence shelter), I’m reminded of the power of storytelling, uniting us across time and experience.