Dietetics Personal Statement

I want to enter the field of dietetics because I am allured by the parallel relationships between nutrition and disease. Dietetics encompasses a wide variety of scientific and holistic details that continues to keep me fascinated. To start, nutrition education was cultivated by my family along with the vast cultural and agricultural exposures growing up in Southern California. My parents had immense pride in teaching me about the synergistic relationships between nature, man and the processes within the human body. With that, the field of dietetics combines components that I naturally gravitate towards; nature, nutrition, the body and the holistic methods for treating medical conditions. I want to offer the world my kindness and
the passion to equip those in pursuit of better health and healing. Besides my upraising, there are several influential factors that have peeked my interest in this career of dietetics but have also prepared me for it. The experiences that have geared me for the field of dietetics are the military, my education and my journey working in medical facilities.
My first experience was enlisting in the United States Navy at the age of twenty. In the Navy, I was a flight deck director where I manage multiple responsibilities that reinforced my abilities to work under pressure, be adaptable and have perseverance. I participated in the orchestration of hundreds of crew members for the launch and recovery efforts during combat support missions on board the Aircraft Carrier George H. W. Bush, CVN 77. The military bestowed the greatest confidence in myself in order to conquer any given task while motivating others. Another experience that better prepared me was my time spent as a student at Norfolk State University. The didactic program built rich foundations of knowledge in food, exercise science and nutrition. As a student I had a healthy balance of academics, sport participation, work and volunteering. I enjoyed the involvement in community development providing nutrition and exercise awareness. I created and implemented educational materials, presentations and nutrition assessments for; health fairs, community organizations, elementary schools, conferences and club assignments. Lastly, the greatest experiences that best prepared me for the career in dietetics are my years working in medical facilities. As a patient line chef at Riverside Regional Medical Center I had
the privilege to be creative with recipe development and standardization incorporating medical nutrition therapy concepts and food safety principles. In addition, I’ve observed the dynamics of a commercial kitchen to comply with patient wants, diet specifications, food cost control, and menu cycling. Subsequently, I furthered my foodservice experience at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Nutrition Service department. As a food service worker I mastered the tray assembly methods, Computrition (which is the foodservice software) and the Dinex rethermalization docking and delivery system. On my days off I volunteered organizing wellness classes and self management activities under the supervision of the mental health dietitian. As a food service worker, I became curious about the intricacies of health administration and management, therefore I applied to a new position. I accepted a promotion into the Veterans Health Administration Department where I am a member of the Non VA Coordinated Care program, NVCC. I’ve developed extensive skills in health care informatics, communicating and coordinating care of veterans and their families. The most rewarding part of my daily duties are the interactions I have with veterans. Additionally to the preparation to the career in dietetics, these experiences have elevated professional and personal goals. Here are my short-term and long-term goals. My immediate goal is the acceptance into the Iowa State University Dietetic Internship, leading to greater knowledge in areas I lack exposure to, such as clinical and nutrition care process. After the internship I will pass the registered dietitian exam to pursue my long-term aspirations. My long-term goals are to work with the military and or in veteran centric hospitals specializing in behavior health specifically with transitional combat veterans. I want to expand my education by understanding the mental correlations of nutrition and health. My ultimate goal in the future is the pursuit of a Master of Science in Nutrition and Clinical Psychology. To be successful I believe knowledge is power. Which brings me to express the importance of well-roundedness and self actualization by identifying my strengths and weakness. Reflecting on experiences and developing goals, I found my areas of strengths and of weakness.
My strongest traits are being self-motivated, my reverence for nature and people, mindfulness, self-progression and flexibility. My areas of weakness were my lack of self confidence, sensitivity and impatience. To elaborate on my progression, my growth started in the military where I was subjected to a variety of stresses. These constant exposures allowed me to build confidence in myself and trust in others. I learned to follow respectfully, keep an open mind and to lead humbly. Along with that, Riverside and the VA Medical Center allowed me to express transparency. I learned the importance of being direct in my communications and to not take situations personally. Adding to that, working in hospitals requires an acceptance for ambiguity. My team members and the patients respond and react uniquely where I found it best to slow down and appreciate each person’s wants, needs and
capabilities. In closing I would like to state my reasons to participate in the Iowa State University Dietetics Internship Program. The program offers two main facets that I find exceedingly valuable. First, ISUDI offers autonomy, where I can manage my schedule closely to where I live without sacrificing my home and support networks. Another aspect is the liberty to make individualized rotations with preceptors of interest that have accepted and support my professional aspirations. Furthermore, Iowa State University Dietetic Internship provides everything that inspires me personally and professionally. I can offer Iowa State University an extremely attentive, innovative, proactive, focused and compassionate person who will excel at the multitude of demands. Thank you kindly for your time and consideration