Personal Narrative: My Volunteer Experience

Carefully, with a shaky hand, I successfully inserted an insulin pump into my left thigh. I counted every carbohydrate I ate and timidly calculated my carbohydrate/insulin ratio. The liquid I was distributing throughout my body was not in fact insulin, but saline. Volunteering as a diet aide at Camp Carefree, a children’s summer camp for type one diabetics, gave me the opportunity to know what it felt like to step into these innocent children’s shoes. Throughout college I was told I needed to get volunteer experience in order to get a dietetic internship, so I did. I volunteered at a medical center under the guidance of a dietitian, gave nutrition education to adults with physical disabilities at the Easter Seals, was the treasurer for the
nutrition & dietetics club and volunteered at a WIC clinic. All of these opportunities were equally beneficial and rewarding. I have cherished every lesson I learned, but getting to volunteer as a diet aide at a sleep-away camp for children during the summers of 2014 and 2015 was life altering. Looking back now, when I was applying for the position, I had no idea this experience would have such a positive effect on me. For seven days I woke up and was interactive with the kids and in the kitchen for a full twelve hours. I was in charge of preparing the meals, helping campers master their carbohydrate to insulin ratios and held their hands as they shyly injected themselves for the first time in a new spot. I saw it all. One of the most beneficial and heartwarming experiences during the camp was getting the opportunity to watch pump site changes. I saw a side that uncovered they were no longer just kids; they had to act like adults during times like these. They were so excited to have me be a part of their diabetic progress. I felt honored to have them teach me everything about their pump and show me their vulnerable side as they cried trying a new location. They are the reason I want to enter this profession. The knowledge and love these kids gave me inspire me to give something back in return. Going through this experience was anything but easy, physically and emotionally.
Nonetheless, through the challenges, I discovered strengths in myself. I have always been mainly a follower because I am easy to get along with. At times this quality has hurt me, but during my time at the camp I was transformed into a leader. The group of volunteers I was working with were not as motivated or passionate as they could have been. I could not do all the work myself, so I took my stand as a leader and motivated the dietary staff team to do their best work. I used my voice to delegate tasks to efficiently get them done, as well as pushing with perseverance when I was beyond the point of exhaustion. After coming back from the camp I have continued to use my voice and speak my opinion. Being confident has led me to be distinguished from my fellow peers at the University of Delaware. I was given the opportunity to be a teachers’ assistant for a 300 level nutrition counseling course. My duties were hands-on and included leading an inter-disciplinary approach to education with the nutrition and theatre departments. Theatre students were trained to act as patients and nutrition students had the opportunity to practice their assessment, counseling and communication skills. I was in charge of making sure the sessions ran smoothly and addressed any questions or concerns students had. With my commitment and interpersonal skills I was a Women of Promise Recipient and I received a junior
student dietetic award and monetary scholarship. The University of Delaware has kept me on the correct path to succeed in the major of dietetics, but being a dietetic intern for the University of Virginia Health Systems dietetic internship would complement my strengths and train me for my professional future. Taking the next step of being accepted into an internship with a nutrition support and pediatric emphasis will be the stepping-stone I need to complete my dietetic path and reach my future goals. The immediate goal I would like to accomplish is to pass the RD exam on the first try.
I would like to contribute to the 96 percent success rate of interns who passed on the first try at the UVA Health System dietetic internship. I want to acquire the necessary skills and professional behaviors to become an entry-level dietitian and this dietetic internship would provide me with the techniques and tools to get me there. In the future I would like to become a board certified specialist in either nutrition support or pediatrics. Being an intern at UVA health systems would present me with the opportunities to explore different specialties of nutrition by learning from well-respected experts to help me determine which area I am most passionate about. Getting the opportunity to participate in unique rotations such as transplant, PICU and nutrition support emergency/medicine will give me an advantage in the future to learn what specialty suits me the
best. During the past year I have questioned whether this was the profession that I wanted to pursue in the future. I had only been exposed to a small amount of career paths for this degree, none of which really made me eager. After attending the UVA Health Systems open house though, I quickly realized this was exactly the profession I wanted to continue with. The directors of the program and all the dietitians were so enthusiastic and passionate about not only nutrition, but also the hospital itself. I was shown the importance of having dietitians on a variety of different specialty teams and it gave me excitement for my future. The directors’ love and pride for this program was expressed from how organized the open house and internship is run. I am an organized person so I like knowing that I would be apart of a strong and professional program. In addition, being a nationally ranked teaching hospital would allow me to feel comfortable asking questions and not being afraid to learn from the highly respected preceptors. One of my favorite aspects of this internship is the requirement to continue with volunteering and community leadership activities. An important part of my college experience was volunteering so being able to continue my leadership and public speaking skills in the Charlottesville area will give me the chance to give back to the community. The UVA health systems dietetic internship is a rigorous and challenging program that I would be incredibly lucky to be an intern for. Not only do I believe that I am a good fit for UVA, but I believe UVA is the perfect fit for me in order to achieve my lifelong ambitions.