the following interviewees create successful careers? It is fascinating to speak with people who share a love of food, nutrition, health and fitness, and hear how they turned that love into a career. Every pathway is totally different.
In the following interviews they share their journey from childhood to their current job. What and who influenced them? How did they figure out what education and credentials they needed?
Lara Hyde’s interest in nutrition began in Calgary Alberta where she grew up enjoying activities like skiing, hiking, and dance. She knew how important it was to “nourish her instrument” and that dance could cause body image issues. She also has a severe peanut allergy which gave her an intense focus on food. These two experiences were the framework for a healthy relationship with food. She didn’t want food to become an obsession. Then through her college years, she had many experiences that refined her focus on the science of nutrition as a career.
Though unintentional, Germaine Guy has been a role model for lots of people throughout his life. He started early changing his habits while others watched. Later he started to share what he knows about nutrition and physical activity on social media and demonstrated his strong commitment to always being up to date on clinical care in his jobs.
Susan Stalte always worked hard while going to school. Motivated to avoid school debt, she accumulated degrees and experience that have held her in good stead. She showed foresight, made her luck, and worked her way into her ideal job.
From Clinical Dietitian to Leader for Future DietitiansRead More
Funny how little experiences in childhood can ignite a career! For Roxana Ehsani, it was cooking activities and playing sports in her neighborhood and school. Growing up around a lot of other children because her mother ran a childcare center in her home, and the neighborhood was teaming with kids, her days were full of creative play, healthy snacks, and lots of outdoor physical activity.
Reflecting back on how she became interested in nutrition, Dr. Pam Koch, daughter of a wonderful Italian cook, remembers fondly that food was a central part of her childhood. Though an extremely picky eater, she recalls her mother making delicious meals for the family, with lots of pasta, meatball, homemade manicotti and always vegetables.
Stacey Snelling grew up in Meriden, Connecticut in the 60’s in a household that was typical of the time. The women’s movement was strong and starting to make inroads for women and girls, but households were still organized around a working father, a mother homemaker and children weren’t the center of attention. Attention to the role food and physical
Carol Beier grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, a small town formed by settlers in the 1850s and named for the New York financiers of a group of settlers coming from Ohio. She met her husband while they were both studying at Kansas State University. Her degree was in biology, his in mechanical engineering.
Imagine the amount of food needed to feed a family of 5 children! Good thing that Judy Dowd’s mother was a fun and fabulous cook, and while it was an obligation to help, Ms. Dowd loved cooking with her mother. “I knew I belonged in a field that involved cooking, food and healthcare, and I have always wanted to help people,” Ms. Dowd said in a recent conversation about her life and career.
Clinical Dietitian Passes on Knowledge as Internship DirectorRead More
Professor Sarah Ash grew up in Connecticut, the child of two academics in psychology who filled their house with interesting people and ideas. Though she didn’t start out intending to be a professor herself, the lifestyle and intellectual rigor has made for a fulfilling career. She pursued a major in biology, but
