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Inightful Intern: Back to School


“Back to school”: three words most kids dread to see come mid-August.  You see the phrase plastered all over general stores and hear it in about every other commercial when you’re watching TV (typically followed by the word “sale”).  How is it possible for two and a half months to fly by so quickly?  I ask myself this same question every year.  It feels like I just began at Kindred Nutrition yesterday and here I am now packing all my things and preparing to head back to Blacksburg to take on another school year at Virginia Tech.  Although I am by no means dreading my return to school, I still feel like I didn’t have enough time at Kindred Nutrition as there’s so much more that can be learned from Amy, Dawn, and their clients.

I want to use this blog final blog post before returning to school as an opportunity to make a short reflection on my time at Kindred Nutrition, but first I would like to thank both Amy and Dawn for allowing me to be one of their interns for the summer.  I have had a wonderful time following the both of you and your clients throughout the summer and have learned so much that I think will greatly benefit me in all my future endeavors regarding dietetics and nutrition.  After my very first week of interning here at Kindred Nutrition I told one of my best friends I wanted to be just like the two of you one day and that sentiment continued to be reinforced as my time continued on and I learned more and more from you two, so thank you for this awesome chance to see how you two change people’s lives with the power of nutrition.

When I first began at Kindred Nutrition, I had just finished my first year at Virginia Tech as a Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (HNFE) major.  I was pretty sure I wanted to become a dietician based upon my enjoyment for my nutrition courses and based on what I knew about dieticians (which really wasn’t a whole lot).  However, since interning at Kindred Nutrition I have gained a whole new appreciation for dieticians and it has solidified my wanting to eventually become a dietician.  It has been so cool to see Amy and Dawn’s client’s progress as the weeks have continued on and it is really neat to see how much Amy and Dawn’s recommendations impact these people’s lives.  It’s remarkable to be able to revel in the joy when someone’s body or body functioning has improved how they have wanted because of the counseling provided by Amy or Dawn.  Being able to see someone initially come in feeling very insecure about themselves and then eventually seeing them leave with a new found confidence about themselves and just a new overall happiness is a very fulfilling feeling.  It is this feeling that makes me want to be a dietician.  If there is one thing I can take away from my summer with Amy and Dawn, it is that nutrition is the pinnacle of good health and the understanding of nutrition can serve to better a vast multitude of chronic conditions and other illnesses many people suffer from.  Not only is nutrition so important to physical health, but also emotional health.  When people start feeling better and looking better, it truly changes their lives as they become almost a new person. I am thankful for all that I have learned from Amy and Dawn this summer and I am excited to put that new knowledge to work as I continue my education at Virginia Tech this year.

In Good Health,
Katie Wanger

 

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