I started applying for graduate school for healthcare administration, convinced that I was not meant to become a dietitian. In my search, I ended up stumbling upon a Facebook ad for a combined program in the Chicago area: an MBA with an option for an emphasis in healthcare administration combined with a dietetic internship. It was all the things I had been hoping for rolled into one. I applied that same weekend and got accepted with early admission. Suddenly I was becoming an RDN after all!

I went into my program not knowing that being a dietitian in the business world was even an option beyond healthcare — those jobs had never existed where I lived previously.  Chicago opened this massive door of RDNs working in business, public relations, communications, advertising and more.

Getting published writing for Student Scoop for the first time was my first “ah-ha” moment — I wanted to do more than a traditional clinical dietitian job. My first spring semester, I took an unpaid position with a nutrition-based startup for RDNs. This turned into a paid summer internship, followed by a paid part-time job. In this startup, I’ve gotten experience in sales, marketing, communications and social media. Definitely not a traditional nutrition role!

In the fall of my second year, I did a specialty rotation working for a government commodity and met an incredible variety of RDNs making a huge impact on the way that everyday people view nutrition and farmers. This is an opportunity that I couldn’t have imagined myself taking as an undergraduate.

All of the risks that I have taken in the past two years have led me to realize that I want to work in nutrition business and communications — a revelation I may have never reached had my original plan to pursue an internship immediately after graduation panned out. The lesson I learned? Enrolling in a program you don’t know much about or taking an unpaid position over a waitressing job — these kinds of risks may change your career path in ways you wouldn’t have expected.

My recent breakfast fix has been a shake involving lots of Greek yogurt and yummy protein sources! The recipe is below, and it is super quick and easy. I am a total skeptic of breakfast smoothies and shakes being able to keep you full, but this one always does the trick for me.  It also tastes very nutty from the sunflower butter without actually having any nuts in it — a total win-win!

Protein-Packed Breakfast Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 5.3-ounce container Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
• 1 cup chocolate soy or coconut milk
• 1 scoop protein powder, optional
• ½ banana or other fruit of choice, optional

Directions:

Combine all ingredients listed above in a blender and blend until smooth.

During my sophomore year, I discovered that the school’s cafeteria offered a lemon-lime flavored water option that tasted quite a bit like my favorite soda, and I started mixing the two drinks — half water, half soda. I could barely tell the difference! That spring, I gave up soda for Lent and switched completely over to the lemon-lime water. More and more often throughout the year I would choose to drink plain water over anything else, and by my junior year I was drinking it more often than anything else. Nowadays, I still enjoy a soda or flavored drink now and then, but I have mostly become a plain water drinker.

You might be wondering why, as a future RDN, I would choose to tell the world that I was once drinking 24 ounces of soda each day. If you noticed, the story of me transitioning from a soda drinker to a water drinker was one that lasted almost three years. Three years! That’s how long it took me to make a simple lifestyle change as someone who was studying nutrition in college.

The point of all this is that I see nutrition as something that fluctuates and changes throughout our lives.  As I complete my dietetic internship and prepare to enter the field of dietetics as a career, I try to keep in mind my own experiences with food and health. Making changes to be healthier can mean something different to everyone — it can vary from deciding to start taking walks in the evenings, eating fruit with your breakfast in the morning or, like me, drinking more water. Setting goals is important, but setting goals too big can be overwhelming. By making slow changes, perhaps even one at a time, throughout the course of our lives, we can turn small changes into big ones.

When I think of this year’s National Nutrition Month theme, “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” I think about how making better choices is something that happens one day, one step or one bite at a time. I chose to go into this field to improve people’s lives and to help them be the healthiest version of themselves. I believe that better health is a choice made every day — some days more than others! — and I believe that by being encouraging, supportive and, most importantly, patient with those trying to improve their lives, we can truly make a difference. 

But never fear! As a newbie to the game, I have five tips for all of you interns just starting out or those thinking about applying next round.

Do Not Pick a Program Based Only on Cost

Seriously, just don't. Your dietetic internship is something that you have worked hard towards for at least the past four years, and it represents the culmination of everything you have learned thus far. I cannot stress enough the importance of being happy with the location, focus and dynamics of your internship. I knew doing my internship in Chicago would mean a much higher cost of living than being in a smaller town, but I was so in love with the city and program that I knew I had to take a chance and apply anyway.

Pick a Program with a Graduate Degree Attached

I know, this seems completely insane. "Graduate degrees are expensive! I'm just adding more expenses!" To all of you thinking this right now, I have two words for you: student loans. Student loans are available to graduate students — meaning that taking out the maximum loan will help cover cost of living, books and the millions of other fees that will pop up as you go along.

Be Prepared for Surprise Costs and "Rainy Days"

Speaking of fees popping up along the way — that is going to happen a lot, especially in the first month or so as an intern. Be prepared for background check, blood tests, TB tests, lab fees and many more things that you have never even thought of. In addition, if you have undergraduate loans, you may not be able to defer them right away while you are in a graduate program (or, you may not be able to defer them at all if you are not taking graduate courses). Budget these costs into your financial plan so you aren't taking that money out of your future rent payments.

Become a Bargain Shopper

Buy cheap things! Starting an internship means potentially having to stock up on professional clothing, which can get expensive. I have learned the ins and outs of thrift stores (they're a good source of barely-worn dress pants) and discount stores that carry name-brand professional clothing for up to half the price. For food, I try to hit my local farmers market as much as possible and shop around for the best deals.

Have Fun

This is, by far, my most important advice! You most likely will be in new city, in a new place, or at the very least surrounded by new people and opportunities. Take advantage of the fresh start and try not to stress yourself out too much about costs. The time will fly by and hopefully, before you know it, you will finally be able to call yourself an RDN … and employed!