Apples are used as a metaphor throughout our culture.  We are ingrained with proverbs about this multifarious fruit, from “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” to calling a loved one, “the apple of my eye.”  Then there is a personal favorite: “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But what if it isn’t an apple that will keep that doctor away? This is where I come in.  I have come to realize that for as many varieties of apples grow, the number of people requiring diverse pathways to their own personal health is even greater.  Finding this need for health across so many communities has drawn me to this profession, and it is with the philosophy of “to each their own,” that I approach my work in dietetics.  

My time at Bastyr University was nothing short of life-changing.  It opened my eyes to a world of nutrition that has prepared me for a challenging career in dietetics.  The encouragement to complete work in community, food service, and clinical settings was paramount in building my strengths.  My ability to work both independently and as a member of a team allowed me take role as a leader within the Bastyr community as the Student Nutrition Association Social Coordinator.  This built upon my past studies in Public Relations, where I had the opportunity to work with the Health and Wellness Center at Washington State University on a campaign to redefine the methods to assess wellness on campus, increasing the approval rating of their services from 55% to 78% that following year.  It it through these achievements that I have found my greatest strength, a confidence in myself that I may create change and better health in the world around me.

I was able to bring this sense of confidence to Forest Ridge School, working as part of the Residential Faculty with international boarding students from all around the globe.  There I realized my power to affect the lives of people from many different backgrounds as a role model for dozens of young women whom I have seen mature and grow. In my work, I noticed that one of the hardest adjustments the students make when moving to America is figuring out their own dietary needs.  Many of the girls carry fear that they will fall victim to the obesity epidemic in our country. They begin restricting themselves, having little other knowledge regarding how to nourish their bodies. Seeing this, I approached my program director and together we designed a once-a-week after school nutrition and health curriculum for the girls, where a healthy meal and nutritional knowledge could be shared.  Topics such as finding balance in meals and navigating school food systems are covered, and since the implementation of this program, there has been an immense change in the way the students approach their own nutrition. Teaching these girls helped hone my creativity, time management, and communication skills, as well as being such a meaningful part of my life. With comments like, “I feel so much more comfortable eating with my friends now,” and excitement to share what they learn with classmates outside of the dorm, I know that they will be leaving the program with a rooted knowledge of how to approach their health in the world ahead.

This sense of direction brought me to my work at the Bellevue Acne Clinic, where I act as the Ayurvedic Nutrition Intern.  The Ayurvedic sciences have always fascinated me, as they approach nutrition in a way that guides Western medicine to be even more personalized.  Meeting with people from all walks of life who are each struggling with their own image, I find myself bridging this Ancient Indian way of life with values I have gained through my studies.  Many of our patients have a difficult time connecting with the idea that what they fuel their bodies with will affect their outer appearance. To help this, I initiated the building of learning modules for our clients that allow them information and exercises to follow to become more in tune with their self.  Not only do we focus on every person’s Ayurvedic body composition and dietary intake, but also their life as a whole. Due to this we have found an increase in retained clientele and steadily progressive results in the majority of patient cases.

Though I remain confident in my abilities, it is also through these experiences that I have realized my biggest weakness of speaking in front of crowds.  My nerves take over, making it difficult to get my thoughts out clearly. Through my work in leadership I have begun to overcome these boundaries. Taking on roles such as teaching classes through the YMCA ACT! Program also helped me work through this issue.  Working with families as a whole gave me a comfortable environment to express myself, and I hope that through further experience I will continue to become more adjusted to public speaking. Through this I can be a positive influence on the health of many different communities.

I seek a career in which I can continue to grow and that allows me to branch out so that I may influence the world of dietetics as a whole.  I feel that through the internship offered by Sodexo I could best follow through with this goal. With a program that offers such a variety of experiences and locations, I know that I can use my abilities to help many towards a healthier way of life.  Following the completion of a dietetic internship and becoming a Registered Dietitian, my immediate goal is to work within a community program to help families acquire their nutritional needs by making healthy meals accessible, with a long term goal of using my background in PR to influence public policies surrounding this issue.  Much like Johnny Appleseed, I hope to help sow the seeds of health through nutrition so that this truth may one day be more prevalent in our world.