Accompanying the completion of my Bachelor of Science in Dietetics in May of 2013, I completed Kent State University’s Graduate Nutrition and Dietetics Program in May of 2015. Coursework has given many unique opportunities to advance my dietetic education outside of the textbook; from food science, in which I developed food science experiments concerning fat substitutes within baked goods and their effect on heart disease and consumer response; as an educator to develop lesson plans, handouts, and activities concerning proper sports nutrition for high school girl athletes; in food service in which I planned, prepared, and analyzed food distribution within a college campus dining facility. With the mandatory completion of a graduation project during my time at Kent State, I was able to further research and study an area of particular interest to me; community health and wellness education and promotion. This project took a focused approach on society’s use of social and mass medias for health and nutrition information. Taking on a macrosystem perspective gave way to evaluating dietary patterns and behaviors, while emphasizing the social and mass media influences on dietary intake, weight management, and healthy lifestyle perceptions related to healthy eating.
While at Kent State, I was employed at Northeast Ohio Medical University's (NEOMed) fitness and wellness center, Sequoia Wellness. Sequoia Wellness is an integrated wellness facility, highlighting the importance of healthy behavior and lifestyle choices, exercise, and nutrition. Within the center, I was primarily the Member Services Supervisor, while also working alongside the head chef, the Director of Auxiliary Operations, and Sequoia's RD to develop the menu-, provide a nutritional analysis of-, and reconstruct the food being served to enhance dietary quality in the in-house bistro at NEOMed. I also helped with the development of our cardiopulmonary and weight-management programs, nutrition and disease presentations for on-site medical and pharmacy students, healthy behavior cooking demos for community and staff, and events for NEOMed's National Nutrition Month series. As an Integrated Wellness Partners facility, working with partner health departments, community businesses, and the members of the community had become an integral part of my responsibilities. Creating marketing materials and presentations, and speaking on topics such as disease prevention and management, weight-management, worksite wellness, and healthy eating was a gratifying focus in my position.
As my time as a student continued through graduate school, my desire to learn transpired into my desire to teach, leading to my position as an instructor at ECPI University, primarily teaching their basic nutrition course. Turning textbook-focused courses into hands-on, interactive experiences was influential to their success in my classroom. Since each course was set up in a 5-week term, it was imperative that I manipulated my classes to be application-focused to enable students to learn quickly and progress. Along with instructing, I was also the Student Success Coordinator, in which my job duties were dedicated to student retention and involvement, and helping with the development of health curriculum.
Recently, as a dietetic intern, I had chosen wellness as my nutrition concentration. I spent the majority of my time with Nanna Meyer, PhD, RD, CSSD, at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. One of the projects I helped her with was showcasing organizations that were introducing wellness, sustainability, and nutrition initiatives to their forefront. Through this process, we sat down with St. Vrain’s School Wellness Coordinator, Sarah Harter. Listening to her speak to the programs she had initiated and the plans she had for the future was both inspiring and encouraging. The array of my prior responsibilities and experiences has helped to focus my concentration as a wellness and nutrition advocate in a way in which I believe I would be an asset to your team.
One of the many opportunities that enabled me to expand my leadership, communication, and teamwork skills was becoming an active member in IUP's Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics, sitting as the Community Committee Chair Member for two years. The growth of these characteristics was through the planning of community service events such as the Diabetes Walk, Relay for Life, and Nutrition Expos. Currently, I am a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians in Business and Communications, and Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition, in which I am engaged in current nutrition-related reports, networking, and research.
I look forward to discussing in more detail my background, what I can offer your company in the advancement of your wellness initiatives, and the objectives your team aspires to achieve in the future.
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