About

My journey to finding a passion in dietetics was probably one of the bumpiest rides I’ve taken myself on, but the outcome of it is one of the things in my life I’m happiest about.  I came into college knowing I wanted to study in a STEM field.  I started with engineering, then switched to chemistry, and finally after struggling to keep my head above water, landed in nutrition.  My nutrition classes were like a breath of fresh air, and I knew wholeheartedly this was the field of study I was meant for.  However, my true interest in becoming a certified dietitian didn’t come to me until I started volunteering with the University of Delaware’s Performance Nutrition department. Through this experience I learned how important proper nutrition was to athletic performance, and as an athlete myself, I really connected with providing nutrition resources to our D1 teams.  I realized very quickly that counseling athletes through dietetics was something I wanted to pursue in my career. 

            Since the young age of two, I’ve been placed in ice skates.  Over the past four years here at the University of Delaware, I’ve had the amazing opportunity of skating for our synchronized skating team, UDSST.  This team pushed me far past what I believed my potential to be as a skater, and opened me up to a multitude of opportunities and experiences that have made me the individual I am today.  Through my years on this team, I have gained not only a great sense of teamwork, but also now know what it means to be a leader amongst my peers.  This year I was elected to the public relations and social chair on the UDSST board of officers.  I do feel though, that before I was elected to a board position, I came to be a leader and role model for the team.  Through relentless hard work, practice, encouragement to others, and a constant optimistic outlook, I made myself the best skater and teammate I could be, and teammates followed suit, going the extra mile to make themselves stronger and therefore the team stronger.  This emphasis on leadership and teamwork has enhanced my interpersonal skills for any future career I achieve. My work experiences related to nutrition and dietetics also have given me career skills beyond the technical aspects I have picked up about the field.  Both at my performance nutrition internship and at the food service jobs I have held, I’ve learned to work efficiently in a fast paced environment.  I can learn quickly on the job and have learned how to absorb new information and adapt my work to utilize it. 

            I’m determined right off the bat to be successful in my internship and pass my RD exam.  I know that my long-term career goals count on those two things happening and I’m hoping to fulfill those requirements as soon as possible, while gaining as much as I can from the experience of an internship.  After becoming a registered dietitian I would hope to work in a clinical setting or as a nutrition counselor for a few years.  I plan to use this time to branch out into researching and working in different areas in the field of nutrition and wellness such as eating disorder counseling or how nutrition affects mental health.  After a few years as a practicing RD, I plan on working towards my CSSD credential. Within the next decade of my life I aspire to be a certified sports dietitian working with either collegiate athletes or US Figure skating.  This is where I feel my passion for dietetics and athletics can flourish.  In my ideal career, I want to be able to promote both physical and mental wellness among athletes in addition to providing nutrition counseling.

            Not only am I a hard worker who strives to put my best foot forward at all times, but I also am always looking for a way to improve, whether it’s bettering myself at a certain skill or gaining a deeper understanding of a concept. I also find that when put in a group of individuals who are more experienced in a certain area, I find a way to rise up to their level.  I’m an open minded individual with a genuine curiosity that carries through every opportunity provided to me. This being said, I find a weakness of mine that stands out is that I often tend to bite off more than I can chew.  I’m so eager to dive into each new opportunity, whether it's starting a new job or joining another club, that I forget there are only so many hours in a day to put in the effort necessary for them. This has left me overwhelmed and caused me at times to produce lackluster work. My biggest strength however would be my positive and optimistic attitude.  I have always and hope to always see the bright side in a situation, and I think this not only makes me a good teammate, student, and employee, but also could make me a great dietitian.  I fully believe that everyone should gain a positive relationship with food and see any amount of progress towards their goals as a great achievement.