Napoleon Hill
once said “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never
the result of selfishness.” As a perpetual optimist and evolving healthcare
professional, I find great wisdom in these words. My unwavering dedication to
becoming a food and nutrition expert is evident in my strong work ethic,
dependability and integrity. As a registered dietitian my highest ambition will
be to establish valuable relationships with my clients and their families,
anchored in trust, integrity and good humor.
I developed the
desire to help those with ailments early on at the age of 5 when I influenced
my dad to stop smoking, a habit he had not been able to kick for years. Then,
at age 7, I saw my dad in pain from having surgery on both knees due to his
rheumatoid arthritis. As time went on, in school, I did well in all of my
classes, however, I favored my courses in science from middle through high
school. It was only natural that I picked science (biology) as my major in
college. Upon graduation from Longwood University in 2002, I was unclear on the
exact profession I wanted to seek more education in, so I took that opportunity
to allow life experiences help me make that decision.
I began exploring
the field of pharmacy and immediately studied to become a nationally certified
pharmacy technician. While in that field, I not only learned how the chemical
make up of prescription drugs assists in the aid of healing/relieving aliments
but I also learned skills in customer
service, company values and exercising humility and empathy. Although I enjoyed
the field, I was never intrigued to become a PharmD. I did, however, discover
pharmaceutical sales and obtained experience in sales by taking on an outside
sales position with Konica Minolta- a printing company. After one year, I realized I was missing
being a part of the healthcare world and I knew I needed to make a change that
would place me in healthcare as my profession.
It was around
this time when I tapped into my fondness for nutrition. My dad, by this time,
had endured two prostate surgeries, dual knee surgeries, three back surgeries,
two heart stent implants and a multitude of other random trips back and forth
to the emergency room due to medical incidences. At almost every one of these
encounters with the physician, I heard the doctor mention diet and how
important change would mean to his overall well - being. It was then when I
realized that a lot of what my dad went through, could have been prevented, had
he taken more time to eat better and exercise more. It took me no time to
research and find that there was a position in healthcare that catered to food
and nutrition and I knew that was what I was made to pursue – to become a
Registered Dietitian. So here I am, a senior studying Dietetics
at the University of Northern Colorado, set to graduate in May 2014.
I am an
exceptionally dedicated worker and I am proving that by working the same full
time job, going on six years, while I take online classes and maintaining
dean’s list and/or president's list every semester. I am a member of the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, the Virginia Dietetic Association and the Tidewater
Dietetic Association and I am a dedicated wife to my husband of five years (and
counting). I do not have much leisure time, but I manage to spend a few hours
of each Saturday grocery shopping with my mom and spending time with my dad,
who is doing quite well these days and is enjoying retirement. Family time is
important to me and I never take for granted that my parents are still living.
I thank God for them every day.
After
graduation, I intend to be matched with the dietetic internship offered by
Virginia State University and I look forward to exceeding the expectations of
the program by doing what I have always done, work hard, not make excuses and
dedicate my time to achieving excellence, one assignment at a time.
