Ingrid C.

Bierenkoven
Personal Statement

My passion for healthy living and serving others is ultimately what led me to discover the field of
Dietetics. In my family, I have seen how unhealthy eating and physical inactivity contribute to major
health risks like diabetes, high blood pressure, and a general poor quality of life. Seeing this firsthand
gave me the desire to better understand the importance of nutrition in one’s health and to live a more
healthy, active lifestyle. As an avid runner and tennis player, I have developed a keen interest in the
nutritional challenges that athletes and other highly active people face. It hasn’t been a straight line for
me, but my winding career path has solidified my desire to teach others how to take control of their
health. This has become both my personal passion and my professional goal.

After achieving a degree in communications from Boston College, I began my career in advertising,
marketing and then pharmaceutical sales. These positions gave me a wide range of practical
knowledge and taught me the communication and critical thinking skills that will enable me to
promote better nutrition as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. For example, setbacks are inevitable in
any sales job, and radio sales was no exception. This position taught me resiliency and adaptability. I
learned to adapt my communication strategy in order to better develop the relationships necessary to
achieve my sales goals. At American Laser Centers, I used strategic marketing to consistently
generate revenue and build relationships with both new and existing business. Although I was
successful there, I felt compelled to more directly assist others with their health. I then pivoted to
pharmaceutical sales as a Diabetes Care Specialist at Novo Nordisk where I was able to learn more
about diabetes and had the opportunity to present in-depth product information to health care
professionals. My persistence, resiliency, and strong interpersonal skills all enabled me to build and
maintain relationships with healthcare professionals and to more effectively sell my product. Here I
had the added opportunity to work alongside RDNs that were Certified Diabetes Educators. I saw
firsthand how RDNs can play a vital role in the education and lives of patients. While I believed in the
products I was selling, I wanted to focus my efforts towards more directly helping patients better
manage their health. This led me to pursue a RDN degree. While working towards my dietetics degree
at Kansas State University, I was hired as a Program Director/Consultant at Jenny Craig. There I was
trained in the basics of nutrition, motivational interviewing, weight loss consulting, and management. I
excelled at this job and was quickly promoted to Center Director. My passion for nutrition only grew
as I saw my clients achieve success and change their lives.

While in the distance DPD, I found myself juggling the roles of a new mother, military spouse, and
student. I was struggling with balancing all these aspects of my life. This led me to take a short break
from school to focus more on my family. During my time away from the program, however, I never
gave up on my professional goals. While this brief gap in my resume may be viewed as a weakness,
PERSONAL STATEMENT INGRID C. BIERENKOVEN
this experience will make me a more relatable and empathetic RDN. I learned that achieving long term
goals takes time, patience, and determination; an idea that empathetic RDNs can use to help motivate
their patients.

Over the last few years, I’ve been inspired by my dietetic-related volunteer positions at both Tripler
Army Medical Center (TAMC) and Queens Medical Center (QMC). Some of my volunteer duties
included accomplishing food service and production management tasks and observing nutritional
screenings and assessments, all of which helped me gain a better understanding of all aspects of a
patient’s nutritional care. Shadowing dietitians during counseling sessions and nutritional classes
helped me better understand the role of an RDN within an interdisciplinary health care team. This
experience further motivated me to work towards obtaining the Certified Diabetes Care and Education
Specialist (CDCES) credential. As a diet technician volunteer at TAMC, my main role was taking
phone orders from patients and hospital staff and ensuring that they matched proper diet orders to meet
the needs of the patient. I learned how to communicate effectively with patients and hospital staff and
manage patient room service orders through their food management software system. These learning
experiences have confirmed my love for dietetics and have shaped my short-term and long-term goals.

My short-term goals are to enter into the dietetic internship program at Sodexo, complete the KSU
master’s program, and earn the RDN credential by the end of 2021. Longer term, I plan to pursue a
career in the clinical setting, work towards my CDCES and CSSD credentials, and specialize in
medical nutrition therapy and sports nutrition. Ultimately, I plan to combine my passion for diabetes
and sports nutrition by helping diabetic athletes discover how to manage their diabetes while
optimizing their athletic performance.

The Diabetes and Critical Care Medical Nutrition Therapy concentrations at Sodexo’s dietetic
internship program are perfectly suited to help me achieve my goals and will best prepare me to be a
competent entry-level practitioner within the clinical nutrition setting. I am excited at the thought of
continuing the growth and development of my career in dietetics with your internship program. This is
a crucial next step for me in becoming an RDN that can offer an advanced level of care to patients and
make a positive impact on their lives. I truly believe that my work and volunteer experience, strong
academic standing, self-motivation, determination, communication skills, and passion for health and
nutrition make me a great fit for your internship program. Thank you for your consideration.

PERSONAL STATEMENT INGRID C. BIERENKOVEN