Meet Tara Condell, BS, Dietetic Intern, another inspiring, passionate dietetic student who will be enhancing our future industry. Read on to learn about Tara’s current studies and what she plans on doing when she graduates. – Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? Nutrition encompasses many of my favorite things in life: food, helping people, and science. I realized that dietetics is my calling after being the sole caretaker of a critically ill parent and seeing how nutrition interactions in the body play a huge role in health.

School you are studying at now? I am currently doing a coordinated program and completing my Master’s degree at New York University and dietetic internship at James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

Website:
http://www.foodandotherthings.com

What area of dietetics do you want to go into once you graduate? Tough question! I am drawn to the clinical side of dietetics, especially in nutrition support and bariatrics. However, I have found an interest in nutrition consulting and corporate wellness. Technology is a huge part of the world we live in and I’d like to make nutrition a bigger aspect of that. Good thing we are allowed to wear many hats as dietitians!

Describe your dream job: An ideal career would be to work at a hospital part-time and consult for tech companies and clients a few days a week.

Any special projects or nutrition endeavors you are doing? Just a few months ago in undergrad, I was enrolled full-time in university, volunteered over ten hours a week at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and as a peer nutrition educator, served as president of the SDA and legislative ambassador for CAND, dedicated time as a teacher and research assistant, and worked part-time at a doctor’s office.

These days I am focusing on excelling in my internship and absorbing as much information as possible in graduate school.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? I’ve been told that I’m a “people” person, which goes a long way in this field. I also grew up speaking Chinese!

On the other hand, I am really motivated to continue developing counseling techniques. It looks straightforward on paper, but it is more challenging in vivo when there is so much variability.

Sarah Koszyk is founder of Family. Food. Fiesta. A family-based wellness program and blog focusing on recipes, family health tips, and videos with kids cooking in the kitchen. She is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach specializing in sports nutrition and adult and pediatric weight management. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.