I’d always possessed an affinity for serving, educating, and guiding others. In fact, my dream job as a child was an elementary school teacher. But I’d never considered integrating my passion for nutrition with my love of education until a spring break mission trip to Guatemala. During this trip to a third world country, I discovered the immense lack of nutrition knowledge amongst the locals.
I quickly fell in love with the people of Guatemala and I particularly enjoyed helping them understand information they hadn’t had access to before. Providing nutrition education in third world countries isn’t the only outlet of nutrition education for which I’ve developed a strong liking; I am also particularly interested in nutrition education for children and adolescents. In my senior fall semester, I registered for an elective course offered at the University of Florida called Mentoring the Scientific Process. In this course, I was assigned to a 6th grade student at Westwood Middle School in Gainesville, Florida to mentor on a science fair project.
Though I’ve always been a great caretaker of children, this experience was the first time I was able to teach and guide a young student using my knowledge alone. It was extremely rewarding to see my mentee understand and apply the skills I taught him. Both of these interests I have, although obviously distinct, share a defining characteristic: they bring people joy and excitement through learning. I chose to pursue a career in dietetics because I have a deep-rooted desire to improve the lives of others – especially those who are less fortunate. There’s nothing that would bring me more joy than knowing I’ve given someone the resources he or she needs to live healthfully. My undergraduate experience at UF wasn’t traditional since I began as an online student in the PaCE program (Pathway to Campus Enrollment). Being a somewhat disorganized and easily overwhelmed student in the past, I was initially concerned that I would fail in this program.
However, I view every potential obstacle as an opportunity for personal growth. The PaCE program and its various challenges pushed me to become the self-motivated, organized, and passionate student I am today – qualities that will contribute to my success in the graduate program. I was drawn to the University of Florida Masters of Science and Dietetic Internship because this program best aligns with my passion to serve others and will provide me with the opportunity to fulfill my long-term career ambitions. My utmost goal is to use nutrition education as a means for global outreach and change. It is a dream of mine to travel to third world countries and teach children and families about nutrition. I know the University of Florida MS/DI is an environment where I can channel my enthusiasm for both dietetics and education. Attending the University of Florida for graduate school is a natural step for me, one that I’m prepared to take and work tirelessly for.
