Apply to be a SOND officer for the 2016-2017 school year!

Are you interested in becoming a leader and an officer with SOND? This is a great opportunity for leadership, networking, fun, and outreach! 

Once we have applications submitted, we will host a SurveyMonkey poll for all of our members to anonymously vote on who they chose for their leaders for next school year. We will leave applications open for about 1 month! 

We ask that you submit a short paragraph (to Angela at moria102@umn.edu) to allow our members to read and get to know you! Please include:

- A clear photo of yourself (portrait please)
- Year in school and when you joined SOND
- Your goals and ideas for SOND next year
- A fun fact about you!

March Meeting Update

Kari Yorek Rd, LD at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview:
Position:
- Has covered pediatric weight management initially; now covers behavioral/OB/orthopedic surgery units
Advice: 
- The last 1.5 years of school are important! (Medical Nutrition Therapy, Counseling, Metabolism...)
- Try to work and volunteer during school
- Volunteering doesn't specifically need to be nutrition related, it shows involvement and dedication
- During the dietetic internship and job search, be OPEN MINDED - you never know where you will end up or what you will like doing; "you have nothing to lose, just be yourself"
- Be prepared to think on your toes and formulate plans quick in the clinical setting
- Taking a year off between undergraduate and the internship is O.K. and will help you grow and network for the future
- Be passionate, work hard, don't stress and always give 110%!


Liz Zaremba Rd, LD at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview:
Position:
- Transitional Care Center and Preceptor for M Health Dietetic Internship
Advice:
- Food is a medicine, but also a comfort and a culture
- Sociocultural nutrition is an important class, pay attention to cultural foods and dealing with interpreters
- Church mission trip to Guatemala - started teaching basic nutrition in Spanish, learned how to work independently and experience teaching about health
- 1 year experience working as an Advanced Nutrition Aide at UMMC may have looked the best on her resume
- There will be food service/food safety topics on the RD exam!
- The development of tough skin in the clinical setting is important and necessary
- Save your notes from Medical Nutrition Therapy
- Important to maintain a great attitude, professionalism, willingness to learn and to work hard during your interactions with people through the internship or job search

Both Kari and Liz most enjoy clinical units in transplants and tube feedings!

Please feel free to contact Kari at: kyorek1@Fairview.org
                                     and Liz at: ezaremb1@Fairview.org

Have some time to read over spring break? Check out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' reading list for National Nutrition Month!

Follow this link for a nutrition-related reading list from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: http://www.eatright.org/~/media/eatright%20files/nationalnutritionmonth/handoutsandtipsheets/nutritiontipsheets/goodnutritionreadinglist.ashx

Welcome back students! Spring 2016 updates:

Our food drive has officially begun! This year, we have registered with Second Harvest Heartland of Minnesota to help end local hunger. This food drive will be running from Monday, January 25th - Monday, April 25th. Our current goal is 60lbs - but with the addition of a new virtual food drive, we hope to extend that goal!

A donation box will be located in the Food Science & Nutrition office on the second floor (Suite 225) starting Monday, January 25th.

Here is a quick list of some most needed items:

• Canned tuna, ham or chicken, beef stew, chili, peanut butter, canned/dried beans
• 100% fruit juice, canned fruits and vegetables, instant potatoes
• Pasta and sauce, boxed meals, hearty soups
• Cereal, rice
• Low-sodium, low-sugar, gluten-free foods

There is also a virtual addition to our food drive, where you are able to online shop for groceries that will be delivered directly to Second Harvest! Please check out the link:

http://support.2harvest.org/site/TR/FoodandFundDrive/FoodandFundDrives?px=1572358&pg=personal&fr_id=1290#.VqJnbpMrJPM


Help us end hunger in Minnesota! Your donations are extremely appreciated.

November Meeting Update

Notes from the graduate student panel: 

Kaela Pittman: pitt0162@umn.edu

• Masters of Science in Nutrition (2 year)
• Plan B with The Emily Program internship  
• Undergraduate degree in nutrition/dietetics 
• Sports nutrition focus 

Sydney Boehnlein: boeh0191@umn.edu 

• Masters of Science in Nutrition (1 year completion) 
• Plan B with The Emily Program internship
• Undergraduate degree in nutrition/dietetics 
• Sports nutrition focus 

Hannah Trasser: trass003@umn.edu

• Masters of Public Health Nutrition (non-coordinated track)
• Undergraduate degree in Psychology  

Rebecca Leighton: leigh142@umn.edu

• Masters of Pubic Health Nutrition, coordinated track (with dietetic internship)
• Undergraduate degree in nutrition/dietetics 

Highlighted Q & A: 

How did you find an advisor for graduate school?

Know what you are interested in ~ look into professors current research, start early, hold informational interviews, have a formulated plan, use your personal connections, don't burn bridges with professors. 

What are the Nutritional Science program tracks? 

Plan A : More research, science - aimed towards future completion of PhD

Plan B: More open to what you want to do, along with dietetic internship afterwards. (Have great time management skills and know what you want to focus on.)

How to apply for T.A. position: 

Talk to Dave Smith as early as possible - work together on coordinating similar interests with current professors. 

How important is your GRE score?

Focus on getting at least average - do your best! 

What strengthens grad school applications?

Long term experience, volunteer work, connections. Knowing what you're going to bring to the program, knowing what you want from the program and what you want to do with it. 

How is graduate different than undergraduate school?

You are taking classes you love, are able to apply knowledge from undergrad and real world situations, hands on learning experiences, less memorizing and cramming (less exams!), smaller more engaging class sizes, skills and knowledge taught are relevant and applicable.

I am interesting in the Masters of Public Health nutrition, where should I gain volunteer experience? 

Second Harvest Heartland (http://www.2harvest.org/?referrer=https://www.google.com/#.Vkn409-rSCQ)

Farm to School programs (http://nutritionservices.mpls.k12.mn.us/about)

Open Arms (http://www.openarmsmn.org/) 

Local Food Banks

Advice?

Be confident, true to yourself, know what you want!

Please feel free to email these students, or SOND, with any of your questions! 

Welcome SOND Members! ~ October 2015 Meeting Update

Last Thursday we had a great turn out as we welcomed Alexis Weisser and Renee Korczak as speakers for our October meeting. Here is a recap of the things they talked about, along with their contact information.

Alexis got married the summer after finishing her BS-nutrition and dietetics degree here at the U. She found a strong interest in foodservice her senior year, and was able to get a job at a senior living home in Maplewood that recently opened, for where she operates the kitchen full time as the dietary manager. The community is continually growing, and Alexis currently cooks 3 meals a day for 11 patients, > 62 years in age. She handles all the cooking, baking, budgeting, inventory, ordering and kitchen staff hiring.  Alexis was able to find a mentor throughout the facilities opening process, a dietary manager from a different location, to help her with all these new experiences.
One of Alexis' favorite things about this position is the menu planning because it allows her to use her creativity skills. This position is rewarding to her because she is building relationships with the residents and they can be very complimentary. In addition, everyday is different for her, she gets to create her own menu and there is a lot of positive teamwork within the facility.
Alexis mentioned that developing thick skin is important for this specific and other positions dealing with a variety of people. She stressed the importance of focusing on the population you're dealing with to be able to understand where they are coming from, what they want and what they need.

Renee had a passion for food and nutrition at a very young age. She immediately saw how nutrition can make a difference in the lives of the people around her. She completed her undergraduate degree in Connecticut and had plans to go onto medical school. After these plans fell through, she got a job at Kraft foods where she worked on the development of  low fat Oreos and created food labels. Renee went on the Grad school for a masters in nutrition from Boston. Here Renee volunteered with diabetes patients, was turned off by the medical school life and found passion for research, education and food. After her masters program, Renee started working for Nestle in regulatory affairs, where she labeled baby food and sports nutrition products while also working with dietitians in the call center. She found that food industry was a great and expanding place to work and when she connected with Joanne Slavin, professor at the University of Minnesota, Renee got involved in research and completed her PhD here while also completing her didactic internship through Iowa State. After being unsatisfied with going back to work at Nestle, she came back to MN to co-teach and create her own company - where she stands today!
Renee told us that experience is very important, and no matter where we work, we will be gaining transferable skills. She highly recommends finding a mentor and making connections everywhere you go.


Please feel free to contact both Alexis and Renee!

Alexis Weisser: lunde334@umn.edu
Renee Korczak: korcz005@umn.edu

Looking for Summer Opportunities?

The following is just some of the organizations and opportunities you can do in the summer, along with some tips! 

Farmers Market Nutrition Program through WIC -  Hennepin County  WIC clinics offer this as a volunteer position. Some rural clinics may as well. If you would like to know more information about volunteering at WIC in Hennepin County this summer, please contact Rolf at rolf.anderson@hennepin.us

Gopher Football Team– The RD is looking for interns this summer, fall and next spring. This is a really fun and engaging internship. If interested, you can contact Brittany at franc221@umn.edu  

Wisconsin AHEC which is a public health internship throughout Wisconsin and there are a lot of nutrition experiences through this depending on where you get placed for a site. 

Second Harvest Heartland – variety of volunteer positions and internships are available. One is a SNAP Resource Intern in which you visit sites (a food shelf/church) and provide families information about food assistance programs and screened them for SNAP eligibility . They are accepting applications now. Visit www.2harvest.org/careers, and if you have any questions, contact Jess Swanson at jswanson@2harvest.org

Nutrition Aide/associate at Fairview: Assist patients with meal ordering, deliver food to patients’ rooms, calculate calorie counts for patients, and more. This is a paid position.  

Hennepin County Medical Center also hires nutrition aides. Again, this is a paid position.

Mill city farmers market meet your vegetables intern program runs June through October.

Try contacting nursing homes in the area for extra projects the RD may have. They may also be hiring, or volunteering could lead to a paid position in the future! Students who have worked at nursing homes have worked closely with the RD and helped meal plan, order and have worked with special diets and feeding techniques.

Cooking Matters has intern positions where you coordinate and teach healthy cooking classes for lower income kids, teens and families. It’s a way to network with other food and health activists in the community as well as getting experience with more diverse communities.

Healthy Foods Healthy Lives Institute on campus is always looking for more student involvement. This is the institute that started Food Day. They are always looking for volunteers to work on Food Day activities and possibly coordinate the event. Working with them can lead to many advanced opportunities such as a Teaching Assistant in the cooking classes on campus as well as research. (Paid/unpaid)

University Dining Services: Intern – creating nutrition station signs for the dining halls, meal plan office duties, and orientation information booths each day for incoming students. This was a paid internship.

University of Wisconsin – Extension Waukesha, WI: Help prepare curriculum for 10 different units each summer, which included evaluation questions, a lesson, activities and games, and food samples. Also, you can co-instruct classes (about 100) during the summer to culturally diverse children from Milwaukee at Camp Whitcomb Mason about proper nutrition. Contact Jan at janis.skell@ces.uwex.edu

And the list goes on!

Personal Care Assistant

Youth Farm

Urban Roots

Open Arms

Let's Move

Twin Cities Mobile Market,

Finnegan’s has some nutrition opportunities,

International Association of Culinary Professionals

Minneapolis health department  sometimes has projects/unpaid internships

Tips to remember from current seniors!

**There are so many opportunities it's impossible to get to them all.  If you have an area you are interested in (clinical, community, etc.) focus their skills in that area!

**Don’t do it all! Its not always how many organizations you’ve worked with, but how long you have been there and what you did there. Interviewers like to know details about what your role was and what you learned from participating in that organization. You won’t have much to discuss if you do everything. 

**Students have applied for unpaid internship grants through the U and have received credits.