Personal Statement

I decided one day that I had enough. I spent all day writing letters to myself to put into
words how I was feeling and to prove to myself that I needed extra support. Eating should be
simple and there is more to food than just digestible carbs and energy. Eating a meal with loved
ones is supposed to bring people together, not add additional stress. Although, this toxic
experience is not reflective of the person I am today, I think it established some of the qualities
that I have today and the passion for this field of work. I learned to not only speak up for myself,
but also advocate for others who have gone through similar illnesses. After recovering from my
illness and living a normal life again, my passion for the field grew and I knew that I still wanted
to work in the field of nutrition. Switching from a nursing major at the end of my freshman year
to a nutrition major was possibly the best decision I made and through this I was able to meet a
passionate group of students and professors who have been a great support system for my
academic career. Throughout my time at UNC-Greensboro I have served as an active member of
the Undergraduate Nutrition Club as the secretary and president, which has helped me establish
relationships in the community around food and with professors. Additionally, it has built a
current relationship with an outside community service group, who help us continue to do an
annual food drive on campus. Being a well-rounded person was a goal of mine when I started my
undergraduate studies as a student athlete on the track and field/cross country team. With my
busy schedule, I was able to learn how to manage my time and schedule quickly. It also exposed
to more diverse students within in our graduating class outside of being a nutrition student and I
was able to work closely with our club Athletes for Activism, where we created a safe place for
students to talk about current issues. Outside of school, I interned at Camp Ton-A-Wandah and
worked with campers and staff who had special diets and disorder eating behaviors. I gained a lot
of experience constructing meal plans, counseling girls, cooking food, and placing orders via the
companies Cisco and Marvins. I have many goals for myself now and in the future and hope to
accomplish a lot. One of my main goals is to become a registered dietitian and make an impact
on other people around me. I would love to work in an outpatient clinic with eating disorder
patients because I believe I can empathize with them, without sharing too much of my
experience, and can motivate them to achieve their health and personal goals. Getting my eating
disorder certification after working in a generalized practice setting is another step I could take to
help achieve my goals. Another goal of mine is to work as a preceptor in the field and help
students navigate their studies in nutrition and have great support as I did. My ability to work
well with others will serve me well in the future and ensure that I always will hold myself, and
others, accountable when achieving a goal. Working with other people efficiently not only gets a
task done quickly but can give insight into different ways of thinking. Something that I continue
to work on is putting myself first when being realistic about achieving goals. I have tendency to
take on too many tasks and therefore, cannot spend the needed time on a project. Learning to say
“no,” is an important trait can help create necessary boundaries in a work environment. One
aspect of my resume that is not strong would be my GPA. While it is lower than some of my
peers who are also applying, my relationship with food that I described above took place during
the fall semester of my sophomore year. My grades for that semester were my lowest in college,
therefore, my overall is lower than a 3.0. I am applying to this program at UNC- Greensboro
because I could see myself making a difference here and love the positive environment
professors created in my time here as a student. I love how this graduate program offers a thesis
and non-thesis tract and relates an environment where students have guidance to continuing
research in the field. UNC- Greensboro’s current research on campus covers various aspects of
the field of nutrition ranging from community engagement with nutrition of mothers in the
IGrow study to nutrition science research of the brain. To conclude, I am very passionate about
the field of nutrition and have established a great support system at UNC-Greensboro through the
students and staff. I hope to continue that great relationship here at the graduate level and know
that I can achieve high goals with my past experiences and current work ethic.