My name is Kayla Abella and I am applying for the Sodexo Dietetic internship.

This
internships’ focus on wellness, community and the option for a concentration in pediatrics aligns
perfectly with my career goals. I believe that this internship will strengthen my skills and
enhance my passion for dietetics even more.
When I was 17 I had a life changing experience that drove my interest in becoming a
Registered Dietitian. In June of 2015, I headed down the shore with some friends and enjoyed a
plethora of processed foods. I began to feel over-satiated from the variety of boardwalk pizza and
coolattas. It was not too long before my fullness became uncomfortable, and that discomfort
became nausea and it is easy to imagine what happened next.
Every time I ate after this incident, I would feel nausea and extreme bloat. This did not
seem normal to me and now eating had become associated with this horrible beach day. I feared
that everytime I would eat, nausea would follow. I visited a gastroenterologist who ordered an
endoscopy. They had found the root of my issue, Esophagitis and Gastroesophageal Reflux
Disease. I was 17, 90 lbs, and about to embark on a long and painful journey to recovery.
It took a few months for my esophagus to recover enough to feel comfortable when I ate.
It took years to combat the nervousness while I ate. Knowing that the majority of my recovery
was going to be up to me, I began to research everything about food, the digestive system and
nutrition. I contacted a dietitian to see if she could help me get back on track. While the doctors I
met with were focused on fixing the issue with medicine, the dietitian was more focused on
teaching me how to maintain long term wellness.
When I first walked into the dietitian’s office I noticed a picture that said “let food be thy
medicine”. As we began our discussion, I was amazed at the amount of information she knew.
She knew what foods irritated my GERD and the foods that could aid in digestion. With her help
I was able to drastically heal my esophagus and begin to feel more comfortable eating.
It was from this that I realized I wanted to be like her, I knew I always wanted to help
people but I did not know in what way. Those words I had read on the dietitian’s wall made a lot
of sense to me. Food is the root to everything, without food humans don’t survive. I understood
that the best way for me to help people is to educate them and help them understand the basis of
life, nourishment.
As time went on I became increasingly inspired by holistic and preventative medical
practices. I learned yoga, researched more about food's effect on our body, and I even took a
course at my local yoga studio to become a reiki level two practitioner. I also embarked on a
journey to the countryside of France through a program called WWOOF where I stayed on an
organic farm to learn more about agriculture and food. I was inspired by the rituals surrounding
eating in Europe. Having dinner was not just a method of getting rid of hunger but rather a time
of family, love and artwork.
I would love to help people understand the power of nutrition and aid people in letting
food be their medicine. My short-term goals include opening up a practice that incorporates
nutrition, acupuncture, massage and yoga, but focuses on the healing of children and families in
lower socioeconomic communities. I believe that with proper nourishment, individuals who are
in less-than-ideal living situations can begin to thrive and succeed especially if educated as a
family. I discovered my passion for low income communities through my volunteering
experiences over my 4 years of college. This includes volunteering for organizations such as
CUMAC, the Montclair State Food Recovery Network and City Green which facilitate food
access. I have also assisted a professor at my university with her research on SNAP food stamp
redemption rates at farmers markets. This broadened my perspective with the stigmas presented
to low income communities surrounding food. My volunteer work has sparked my passion for
those communities and changed my view on the importance of food.
My experience working as a dietetic assistant at Clara Maass Medical Center taught me a
tremendous amount about the practical side of nutrition. This was extremely helpful in preparing
me for my career but most importantly, it taught me about working with and understanding
people who are in need. I have seen the difference that these organizations make in people's lives
and I aspire to do the same. My long-term goals would be to write a book on all the aspects of
health and wellness including, nutrition, mental health and physical health. I would also like to
advocate for increasing nutrition and wellness education in schools to improve self-care and
overall health among children.
My strengths are that I am very goal-oriented, a quick learner and I am very curious,
especially when it comes to nutrition. An area of growth I would like to focus on would be my
role as a nutrition educator. I hosted my own events on campus and educated the students on
various topics in the nutrition and wellness world. I did this as a member of the executive board
on both the Montclair State Dietetics Organization and the Environmental Club along with being
a commuter mentor. This was very rewarding because these events gave those individuals the
autonomy to understand health and apply nutrition and wellness to their own lives. Sodexo aligns
with my goals. The focus on helping others through wellness and community is precisely what I
envision for my career. I believe that participating in the Sodexo dietetic internship will set me
up for optimal success not only in my career but in my life.