Personal Statement

In middle school I began to realize my passion for diet and nutrition. I remember my
excitement shopping at health food stores and reading books and magazines related
health and nutrition. With several family members facing health implications, I knew I
wanted to help them become healthy again and to prevent this from happening to other
people and their families. So, in 2008, when I finally became fed up working in retail, I
began searching online for careers related to nutrition and found the American Dietetic
Association (ADA), now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), I began planning out
my journey for my dream career as a dietitian. Obtaining my degree was a huge challenge
for me. In the past 8 years Ive had some good and bad times. While married, I lived in
Maine and Italy which was an amazing experience. In 2013, the unexpected life event of
going through a divorce really challenged my abilities to remain focused and persevere. I
owe my success of graduating to my mother. Her immense support allowed me to grow
independently and become a strong and motivated women.
Over the past two years Ive gained extensive experience in foodservice, community, and
clinical areas and have built meaningful and professional relationships within my
community. After completing my Food Production Management class, I was offered by my
sponsor to assist with planning the menu and to work the Share Fair Nation Event held in
March 2016. This is a huge event for teacher continuing education and is held all over the
US. The expected number of guests was about 1,000 but ended up being about 800
guests. For this event, I was responsible for recipe costing, coordinating recipe testing,
assisting with placing the food orders, and helping with food preparation and production.
This job daunting because I had to balance being a full-time student, my part-time job, and
this job. On top of that, the owner & philanthropist of Share Fair Nation requested vegan
and gluten-free menu options. After several changes and proposals, we managed to create
a healthy and balanced menu with the special dietary requests. This role taught me the
importance of teamwork and balancing multiple projects at one time.
In May 2016, I began volunteering with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental
Control. I volunteer with the SNAP-Ed and Cooking Matters programs. I assist by setting up
materials and visuals for classes and carry out cooking demos. Recently, I was offered a
job as a Cooking Matters Assistant for a 6-week kids class that starts in late September. In
this role, I will help the dietitian teach nutrition education and activities and assist the chef
with kid-friendly meal/snack preparation.
In August, I began an internship with residents in a long-term care facility under direct
supervision of the clinical nutrition manager. In the beginning of my learning process at
NHC Healthcare Lexington, I was tasked with a quality assurance audit to assure resident
information was consistent in all computer systems. Once I became more familiar with
finding the residents information, I gained experience working with nursing, therapy, and
physicians. I've had the opportunity to observe three dietitians complete an admission
assessment and have completed one with supervision of a dietitian. I've gained

experience assessing residents utilizing patient charts, communicating with nursing, and
interviewing residents. I've also gained experience practicing writing progress notes for a
few residents! Working with residents in long-term is very unique because you have to
consider what dietary practices were done at home before they became a resident, their
current nutritional status and what their future nutritional goals are, and you should also
consider what the family wants in order to maintain or to improve the residents overall
quality of life. Ive learned that another important component of long-term care is the
patient care meetings in which the resident, in they are able to attend, family members
and nurse manager, dietitian, social worker, and other interdisciplinary staff meet once a
month to discuss the progress of the resident. Ive had the opportunity to attend several
meeting. This role has reinforced the importance of maintaining dignity of residents and
interdisciplinary communication for best quality of care.
These experiences have led me to realize one of my greatest strengths is taking on new
tasks. In the past, intimidation prevented me from embarking of task/projects that were
challenging. Now, I love to take on a challenge! Some words I like to live by - If it doesnt
challenge you, if wont change you. One of my weaknesses is not having 100%
confidence in my abilities. Although I have accomplished several goals in life I occasionally
lack self-confidence. I strive to improve on by trying something new or challenging. One
example of this is taking on the Cooking Matters Assistant job with the kids group.
My short-term goals include: networking with my local dietetic association to further build
professional relationships, complete a dietetic internship, and pass the national RDN
exam. Im very open minded with future job opportunities I think its important to remain
flexible and to consider unique opportunities. You never know where they may take you!
Long-term goals include: earning CEUs in emerging trends/topics in dietetics, attend future
FNCE, and attend a Public Policy Workshop.
I am extremely passionate about helping people through diet and nutrition which is why I
aspire to become a registered dietitian. A dietetic internship can help me fulfill my dream
of becoming a dietitian and I look forward to take on the challenge of completing an
internship.