With so many self-proclaimed “experts”, false information presented by the media, and

new diet trends appearing every month, it can be considerably overwhelming determining how to
make changes to live a sustainable, healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. Entering my second
semester of freshman year of college, I set goals to make these changes and live healthier. As I
dove into the world of nutrition and fitness, I repeatedly saw “nutritionists” preaching calorie
counting and unrealistic diet restrictions, ultimately influencing me to develop an unhealthy
obsession with food tracking. For months, I heavily restricted my eating and obsessively worked
out, eventually causing me to develop a binge-eating disorder, which was propelled even further
by the misinformation I was reading online. The dangerous, drastic changes to my diet severely
affected my mood, sleeping patterns, energy, and relationships with my friends and family,
causing others and myself to worry about my health. After I began focusing on building muscle
and strength in the gym, I began to learn about proper nutrition and realized how unhealthy my
weight loss strategy was. My fitness goals motivated me to educate myself about how to properly
sustain my body and I began researching dietetics and its role in athletics and long-term health. I
began to recover from my eating disorder as I fueled myself with whole foods and correct
information about nutrition. Through the process I became fascinated with the integral role food
has on our well-being. My discoveries in dietetics informed me about the immense influence
dietitians can have on the health of their patients and I became passionate about the profession. I
want to enter this field to help those like freshman year me who felt stuck and defeated by an
eating disorder, people with health complications that can be alleviated by a proper diet, and
those who simply want to make healthier lifestyle choices. The results I began to see in the gym
after I began consuming the right foods also caused me to realize the huge difference diet can
make, and I want to help other athletes utilize nutrition to help them achieve their goals.
Becoming a registered dietitian can allow me to combine my passion for nutrition with my
interests about exercise and fitness, putting me in a career where I can serve and educate others
with my knowledge.
To prepare for a profession in dietetics, my undergraduate courses in general nutrition,
the profession of dietetics, food science, and other related nutritional classes have educated me
about the knowledge and background needed for this career. My professors, dietitians
themselves, provide insightful advice and instruction, drawing on their professional experience,
that has helped me begin to apply my learning to situations outside the classroom. As a member
of the Student Dietetic and Nutrition Association, I have collaborated with students with similar
professional interests. Their insights into strategies for supervised practice and taking the
registered dietitian exam, as well as the meetings with directors of internships have prepared me
to begin my career in dietetics. As I continue to volunteer and work in farmers’ markets and
nutritional food stores and shadow other dietitians, I gain knowledge about the profession and
the skills it requires to effectively help others with their nutritional goals.
My short-term goals are to match to a dietetic internship in a hospital and school I want
to attend and eventually pass the registration exam. In the long-run, I aim to work in sports
nutrition and to use my credentials globally. I am passionate about exercise and sports, and with
my background and experience in exercise, want to help athletes at varying levels improve their
performance through their nutrition. In my free time, I hope to travel to developing countries to
offer nutritional help to the people there, as my faith calls me to pursue missions and support
others utilizing my own gifts. To accomplish these goals, I must first achieve my short-term
ones, which are just as important and crucial in developing my dietetics knowledge and skills.
Maintaining my high GPA and getting involved in opportunities to gain experience in the food or
nutrition industry are essential in preparing me for success in graduate school and an internship.
Meeting these immediate objectives will allow me to pursue my broader passions in the sports
and mission field.
One of my weaknesses as a worker and student is my tendency to people please and my
discomfort saying “no”. I often try to balance too many tasks at once and end up spreading
myself too thin. To improve in this area, I am working on prioritizing my own needs and creating
lists of what I need to get done before I move onto projects for others. My time management and
discipline, two of my biggest strengths, help me organize my time and work until top-priority
tasks are completed. I use planners and reminder applications to ensure I complete everything
and spread my work out over time, rather than cramming it in before deadlines. My academic
determination and drive to succeed will help me succeed in managing numerous patients, tasks
from supervisors, and a rigorous schedule every day.
I look forward to the future of advising others about nutrition and healthy eating, but am
just as eager about learning the material and the education process to get there. I believe my
personal experiences, passions, and complementary strengths and weaknesses make me an
exceptional candidate for the dietetic field and your institution.