Benchmark I
Interview with a Registered Dietitian
For this assignment, I had to contact and interview a Registered Dietitian of my choosing and ask some questions pertaining to this career path. I contacted Elyse Wells who is a Registered Dietitian in Illinois and is also a mutual friend. The questions included topics like education path, career history, present position, interdisciplinary roles, and likes/dislikes about the field of dietetics. I learned about her personal road to becoming a dietitian and the kind of responsibilities she currently has. After learning about her experiences, it inspired me to continue to work hard to one day be a successful dietitian as well.
Professional Philosophy and Personal Goals
The professional philosophy and personal goals assignment was created to help students figure out where they might like to take their career in the future. It consists of reflecting on my path to dietetics, a professional philosophy statement, values and mission statement, as well as goals for our college careers and beyond. By reflecting on these topics, it helped me think about where I see myself in the years to come. It also created a more individualistic career path for myself, and challenged me to think about my interests in the field of dietetics and what I want my future to look like. I learned that my goal is to make a difference in the lives of others be working with children and families.
Benchmark I Reflection
his year I feel that I have grown tremendously in the field of dietetics. As a freshman in college, I was unsure about what career choice I wanted. I first attended UW-La Crosse for my freshman year in college, and decided to transfer to UW-Stout for the dietetics program. I could not have been happier with my decision. I found that I have a true passion for nutrition and I am enjoying everything that I have been learning so far. This year, I became truly determined and focused to work hard so that one day I can reach my end goal of becoming a Registered Dietitian. I am currently involved in a couple projects that have been introducing me to the field of dietetics. I am part of a team for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources that helps design nutrition educational materials for nursing homes that are used all over the state. I also am a MyPlate Ambassador at UW-Stout by working with the Registered Dietitian on campus to promote healthy eating to our college students. I feel that through my classes and involvement, I have begun to build a foundation of knowledge and experience that will lead me to many opportunities in the future, and I am excited to continue on this path toward becoming a Registered Dietitian.
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As for my extracurricular activities, I am currently involved in a couple projects that have been introducing me to the field of dietetics. I am part of a team for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources that helps design nutrition educational materials for nursing homes that are used all over the state. I also am a MyPlate Ambassador at UW-Stout by working with the Registered Dietitian on campus to promote healthy eating to our college students. I am an active member of the Stout Student Dietetic Association and a member of the Events and Bulletin Board Committee. Along with volunteer work done through SSDA, I also help plan events and update our monthly bulletin board. I have received a certificate for completing my volunteer hours through SSDA, which is a requirement of 10 hours per year. In addition to this I am also an active member of the UW-Stout Dance Ensemble which consists of a few hours of participation a week and a recital show performed each semester. I began involvement in both of these clubs during the beginning of my sophomore year, and I plan to continue my involvement for the rest of my college career. This semester, I also received my Food Service and Sanitation certificate through the ServSafe online course. I have also just been admitted into the Tau Sigma Honor Society for transfer students and received recognition for my academics by making the dean’s list at UW-Stout for my fall semester of 2016.
As for leadership, I feel that I have gained the most leadership skills through my work experience. The past few years, I have worked primarily with children. My first job consisted of teaching swimming lessons to kids aged from 6 months to 12 years old. I was also a coach for the recreational swim team they had at the swim school. Right now, my current job during the summers is working as a day care teacher at KinderCare Learning Centers. I absolutely love my job and being an important part in the lives of the children. The importance of my leadership role is critical for these kids, because I know they trust and look up to me as a role model. I feel that I have always been a natural leader throughout my life because I enjoy being that person that helps others out when they need it and being an example to the people around me.