Despite thinking I wanted to work in clinical dietetics and majoring in Dietetic at Michigan State Univ., once I was knee-deep in my internship (at the Univ. of Iowa Hospitals) I realized I really wanted to reach more people than I could doing one-on-one consulting. I also realized I liked writing/marketing and the creativity of developing materials, so I went into nutrition communications.
Read MoreMy first job after graduate school and getting my RD was with a public health clinic in Oakland. I found that after that job it wasn’t too hard to get employment, and jobs with other clinics, retreat centers, and colleges followed. In 2014 I received the Fulbright Scholar Grant to work in Nicaragua, that was also a big milestone for me and has allowed me to work on branching out to more international work.
Read MoreI started BUD in 2014 at a time when it felt like there was a lot of negativity and criticism about dietitians. I regularly saw groups/social media accounts and pages, individuals and the media accusing dietitians of lacking integrity. Having been a dietitian for almost two decades at that point I knew that our profession deserved better treatment and a more positive space to encourage each other and celebrate our accomplishments.
Read MoreI just want other dietitians to know that it’s okay to be different & follow your heart with your career path. If you don’t like a certain area, like say, clinical or food service, then don’t do it! Lean into what you enjoy and what you’re naturally good at. Play to those strengths & start setting yourself apart. The world is your oyster, and your career options are only limited by your own imagination.
Read MoreWhat are you passionate about in dietetics?
The growing job opportunities, the various areas a RDN can work, and that the respect for our knowledge is growing (I wish it was faster).
Read MoreI do a salad of things, pun intended! I contribute regularly to 4 national media outlets, give expert quotes to numerous national publications each week, consult on various nutrition and food safety projects, teach at several universities as an adjunct, work as a spokesperson, speaker, and write cookbooks.
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