Montclair State Dietetics Organization
Participating in the Cultural Food Day activities for MSDO.
I am an active member of my school's nutrition club. Through the Montclair State Dietetics Organization (MSDO) I have been able to volunteer at community farms, educate the school population on current issues in the dietetics world, and engage in fruitful dialogues about nutrition with my peers. While graduate students are not allowed to hold official titles in the club I have still tried to lend my leadership skills to the club. I do so by organizing and leading peer-to-peer advising groups for club members. Most recently I did this for those going through the DICAS application process. I believe that even though this field is extremely competitive and challenging we all can accomplish that much more by being there to support each other. Supporting each other means supporting the field at large and advancing a discipline that we feel passionately about.
NewYork-Presbyterian Nutrition Assistant
In August of 2017 I began working at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) as a Nutrition Assistant. My duties as a Nutrition Assistant are primarily patient facing. My responsibilities include delivering meals to inpatient units and assisting patients with menu selections. Before delivering the meals I must make sure that all items on their tray are compliant with the diet that has been ordered and that there have been no alterations in the diet order between the time of the tray being assembled and the time of delivery. In the event that there is a new admission or diet order change I make adjustments to trays as needed, assemble new ones, or order them from the kitchen. While most individuals have a designated floor on which they work, I do not and instead 'float' between floors. This means that on any given day I will be serving a new patient population than the day before with varied dietary needs. This increases my exposure to myriad medical nutrition needs and trains me to more readily know about different diets. I strive to help create a positive and cooperative environment that always puts the needs of the patients first.
Conferences
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As often as possible I like to attend conferences and events to stay up to date on what is happening in the nutrition world. For example, I have attended the Greater New York Dietetic Association's annual conference for the past two years, the New Jersey Academy of Nutrition and dietetics conference in 2017, the NYU Stern Healthcare Conference, and recently volunteered at New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics booth at the International Restaurant and Food Service show at the Javitz Center in NYC. Last year, one event I attended that I particularly enjoyed was a lecture and food demo regarding the FODMAP diet by Colleen Webb, a dietitian at the Weill Cornell Medical Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. |
Cooking and Gardening
One of my favorite things to do in my free time is experiment in the kitchen. In the summer time I like to do this with ingredients from my family garden where my mom, dad, and I grow fresh organic vegetables.