Current Students
2009-2010 DIETETIC INTERNSHIP CLASS
Dana Cullen
Dana graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Sports Studies in May of 2009. She performed well academically as demonstrated by her 3.56 overall GPA. She was the recipient of the Bonnie Pickering Memorial Scholarship which is awarded to a dietetics major at Miami University that displays academic merit. Dana has shown leadership skills as member and as vice president of Miami's Student Dietetic Association. Within her role as vice president, she organized a healthy late night snack for students, coordinated a food drive, and assisted in a public library nutrition education program for kids. She is also a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and has gained valuable leadership experience by serving as the chapter's Scholarship Chair. For the past two years, she worked as a student manager at a campus dining hall where she has trained and managed student employees. Dana gained additional food service experience as a NACUFS Food Service Management Intern at Cornell University. She has also worked at Camp Hamwi, a summer camp for youth with diabetes, the past two summers as a member of the dietary staff. Dana's initial goal is to pursue a career in the field of clinical nutrition. She is especially interested in the areas of cardiovascular nutrition, diabetes education and food allergies. Eventually, she would like to obtain a Master's degree as well as a specialty certification.
Betsy Hirschy
Betsy graduated from Lipscomb University in December 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics. She graduated Cum Laude with an overall GPA of 3.58. Betsy was awarded both academic and athletic scholarships at Lipscomb, where she was a varsity volleyball player for two years. She was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic Team both years she played. Betsy served as a Co-President of the Student Dietetic Association, where she organized and led nutrition community projects. She has additionally shown an interest in community involvement through her work with the Ronald McDonald House, serving as a Family Room volunteer in the pediatric critical care unit at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Betsy has had a wide array of experience in clinical nutrition. She worked as a room service associate at Baptist Hospital, assisting patients in their meal choices, ensuring that they adhered to their dietary restrictions and nutritional needs. Also, she had the opportunity, as an intern at Orlando Regional Medical Center, to create a patient recipe book for a Sodexo Managed kitchen. Betsy discovered a passion for increasing nutritional awareness in children while teaching at Young Chef's Academy. Working there enabled her to communicate creative cooking techniques to children as well as promote healthy eating habits. Once a Registered Dietitian, Betsy plans to pursue a specialization in sports dietetics. In the future, Betsy hopes to open her own sports nutrition practice; working to fight childhood obesity and guiding aspiring athletes to excellence through promoting a healthy lifestyle both nutritionally and athletically.
Natalie Kretzer
Natalie graduated from Virginia Tech in May of 2009 with a degree in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise in the Dietetics Option. Natalie initially chose Virginia Tech to continue playing tennis at the varsity level but suffered a wrist injury that led her to compete on the cross country team her senior year. While meeting the demands of athletics and academics, Natalie maintained a 3.95 in her DPD courses and was on the All-Academic Team her sophomore through senior year. Additionally, Natalie was on the Dean's List for every semester and was a member of the Honor's societies Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Phi. Natalie gained experience in Dietetics through working with the Mid-Atlantic Corporate dietitian for Kroger, volunteering at the New River Valley Free Clinic, and serving as the Vice President of the Student Dietetic Association at Virginia Tech. Natalie coordinated the efforts of the SDA with the free clinic to get students involved in nutrition education. With her participation in athletics, Natalie was also involved with Athletes in Action and used that as an opportunity to reach the community through speaking and volunteering. Natalie continues to enjoy running, and will be completing her first marathon in July. While Natalie's background leads her to take an interest in sport's nutrition, she plans on pursuing a career in clinical nutrition and would like to attend graduate school for further specialization.
Jacquelyn Leary
Jacquelyn graduated from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nutrition in May of 2009. Jacquelyn has an outstanding academic record as demonstrated by her 4.0 GPA in the DPD program. Jacquelyn has been a very active student at the College of St. Benedict. She has worked as a teacher's assistant for an introductory nutrition lab for two years, and has also been an active member of the school's nutrition club. Her senior year, Jacquelyn participated in the student preparatory committee, where she organized events that helped connect recent dietetic alumnae and current dietetic students. Volunteerism has been an important part of Jacquelyn's education at the College of St. Benedict. She has participated in service projects at local food shelves, volunteered at a local assisted living facility, organized a spring clean up event in the city of St. Joseph, worked as a volunteer at a camp for children with type 1 diabetes in Hudson, WI and helped organize a body image workshop for young girls and their mothers. Jacquelyn's nutrition interests include medical nutrition therapy, specifically in the area of neurological disease and injury. She also is very passionate about and would like to become more involved in organic farming and sustainable agriculture.
Carolyn McAnlis
Carolyn graduated from Syracuse University in May of 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a minor in Psychology. Carolyn completed her undergraduate career with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 and was named to the Dean's List each semester through her four years at Syracuse. She received scholarships for merit as well as the Chancellor's Scholarship, and is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma national honor society. At Syracuse, Carolyn was active in the Nutrition Education and Promotion Association, organizing nutrition and wellness events on campus as well as planning fundraisers for the group. Carolyn has extensive experience in a variety of settings, including the opportunity to create and implement a 5-week cycle menu at HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Philadelphia. She also had the opportunity to assist in Diabetes research completed by faculty, and volunteer as a counselor at a summer camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes. Further, Carolyn was able to combine her love for nutrition education with volunteerism by participating in CookShop, where she taught and cooked recipes in several Syracuse city elementary school classrooms. She also volunteered in the nutrition department of Crouse Hospital and the Samaritan Center of Syracuse. Carolyn's future career goals include working in medical nutrition therapy and research in the areas of pediatrics or oncology.
Jessica McGee
Jessica graduated summa cum laude from Bridgewater College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Wellness in May of 2006. Jessica also recently graduated from James Madison University where she completed the DPD requirements and a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Physical Activity. Jessica has work experience in the field of nutrition via the following jobs: Nutrition Manager at James Madison University Recreation, Health Educator for Bebetter Networks, and Assistant to Rockingham County Schools Registered Dietitian. Through her position at JMU, Jessica has counseled many individuals about nutrition and taught wellness classes about Fad Diets, Alcohol Consumption, Organic Foods, The Benefits of Breakfast, and The Benefits of Dairy. She also planned two nutrition and wellness fairs at JMU. Jessica has also received several honors for her academic and leadership performance such as induction into Alpha Chi and Philomathes Society, Dean's List each year of college, PEO scholarship recipient, Leadership Award, and an assistantship award for graduate school. Jessica's future career goals include having a job emphasizing the importance of both nutrition and physical activity. She traveled to Africa and witnessed the consequences of malnutrition first hand. Based on this experience she would like to have the opportunity to travel and volunteer in developing countries. Jessica eventually intends to receive a doctoral degree, complete and publish research, and possibly teach at a university.
Sarah Sherrill
Sarah graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2009 from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Nutrition. With an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.90, Sarah was selected into the National Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society. A four year Chancellor's Scholar at Johnson & Wales, Sarah was an active member of the Collegiate Honors Society. Sarah has had extensive volunteer and intern opportunities at Sturdy Memorial hospital in Attleboro Massachusetts, assisting the dietitians and interacting with patients. As an honors student, Sarah's Senior Thesis, Nutrition Therapy for Depression, was passed with distinction. She has also volunteered in the community at local food banks, tutored at several afterschool programs, and participated in a health fair showcasing nutrition for elementary students. Sarah displays a passion for cooking and has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts as well as widespread restaurant and foodservice experience. She has gained valuable skills at The Cheesecake Factory, Farmington Country Club, and The Homestead Resort. Eventually Sarah would like to pursue a career that allows her to use both her experience in dietetics and interest in culinary arts to help teach nutrition in a community setting.
Catherine "Cat" Simmons
Cat graduated in from the University of Florida in May of 2007 with a dual degree in exercise physiology and dietetics. While at UF, Cat excelled academically and graduated Suma Cum Laude with a combined GPA of 3.98. Cat was also accepted into the University Scholars Program and wrote an undergraduate thesis, researching nitric oxide signaling for skeletal muscle transcription, published in the American Journal of Physiology in April of 2008. After UF, Cat moved to Colorado and has been working on an interdisciplinary Master's degree in exercise science and nutrition at Colorado State University and graduated in May of 2009. Cat's initial interest in the field of dietetics spawned from her athletic enthusiasm and experiences with the sport of rowing (crew). She was a rower and coxswain throughout high school and the first two years of college and then worked as the coach for the UF novice men's crew team in 2005-2007. Cat's passion for rowing followed her to graduate school, as she just successfully defended her Master's thesis studying lactate metabolism in rowing ergometry. Although she is still very attracted to the field of sports dietetics, Cat's graduate experiences have expanded her career interests which now included weight loss energetics, metabolic efficiency, and obesity etiology; combined with nutrition counseling for weight loss. In her free time, Cat loves hiking, snow-boarding, and road biking and is currently training for several triathlon competitions. She also loves music and enjoys attending live shows and summer music festivals.
Brittany Tellier
Brittany graduated from Framingham State College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition in May of 2009. She has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement with an overall GPA of 3.72. Brittany is an active participant in the consumer science national honor society Phi Upsilon Omicron and was a former president and treasurer of the Nutrition Networking Group. She was awarded the Constance B. Jordan Scholarship for holding the highest GPA as a freshman and has been on the President's List for the past two years. The work experience that Brittany has accumulated includes Sodexho where she improved upon her foodservice skills. She was also employed at Merrimack County Nursing Home during which she held a management position and work with Alzheimer's patients. Her support for the community has been expressed through volunteering at the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association and working with organizations such as Share Our Strength and the Boston Athletic Association. She is also a big supporter of benefit walks including the Walk for Hunger, the Walk for Diabetes and the Breast Cancer Walk. Brittany's goal is to pursue a career in medical nutrition therapy specializing in either pediatrics or weight management. She is also hoping to continue her education by attaining a master's degree in Clinical Nutrition.
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