What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? Like many freshmen in college, I was having a hard time choosing a major and spent the first 2 years undeclared. My father expressed the idea of becoming a pharmacist and I looked up the average salary of a pharmacist and was drawn in by the income. I was chasing money though, not passion. I bounced around other ideas and nothing was hitting home. Nothing felt like “this is the right direction.” One day at cross country practice, I was chatting with 2 girls on our long run about their major. They told me they were majoring in dietetics and I had never heard of it before. I was immediately intrigued. They told me they had cooking classes and got to talk about nutrition, and I was hooked. I get to go to school for this?! YES! Later down the road, I realized how much of a heavy science major I had chosen, but I got through it just like everyone else. Growing up, my mother always had us involved in the kitchen and my grandma had a farm in Selma, CA, that we also spent a lot of time on during my childhood years. Overall, there were many things that attracted me, but I knew while I was studying in school I was on the right track for Tawnie.

Your Job Title?  – Owner @ Kroll’s Korner (blog)
– Nutritionist/RDN at Clovis Unified School District (CUSD)

Company you are with now? Clovis Unified School District

Website:
http://krollskorner.com/

Social Media:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krollskorner/
– Instagram: krolls_korner
– Twitter: @krolls_korner
– Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KrollsKorner/

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? At Clovis Unified School District (CUSD), my job is varied every day, which I love. One day I could be stuck at the desk planning menus and answering emails and the next I could be out at the cafeterias holding taste tests or creating new recipes for the menu. I spend a lot of time meeting with vendors who show us the latest and greatest food items that we could potentially menu.

On the Kroll’s Korner side, I spend a lot of time with recipe development and taking photos. I like to get inspiration from attending farmers markets and by recipe testing in the kitchen. Since my blog is not my full-time gig (yet), I unfortunately don’t get to give it the attention it really needs at this time. I am also active on local news stations in my hometown with cooking shows and sharing healthy recipe ideas.

How did you get your current job in dietetics? I applied for my current day job while I was still in my dietetic internship because I knew right after graduation I wanted to start working and making money. It was a long interview process, I think I had 4 interviews and even a written quiz to assess my nutritional intelligence! On the day of my Dietetic Internship graduation I was offered the position here at CUSD!

As far as my blog goes…it was a passion project that turned into another source of income. I had family asking for the recipes of photos I was posting to Facebook and a friend had brought the idea of a blog up to me. “A blog? I don’t know 1 thing about starting a blog!” And here I am, 3 years later telling you that you CAN achieve the impossible. I took a leap. A risk. An absolute shot in the dark. I would have never met some of the most amazing people & dietitians if it weren’t for my blog.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? Having a positive attitude and personality is something I believe I was born with. I never was “taught” this, it just happened naturally. It wasn’t until I started getting older I realized how negative people can be! Haha!

Skills I have learned along the way: the importance of effective communication, working with others and to ALWAYS stand up for myself because NO ONE else will!

Dale Carnegie once said, “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by common sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Stop getting distracted by things that have nothing to do with your goals. Have a clear vision of what you want. Think not only of what you want, i.e., happiness and success, but what do you want to give back to the world? What do you want your legacy to be/how do you want to be remembered?

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be? Coffee or workout clothes! I am a coffee addict and probably already spend a hefty amount of my paycheck on it. And let’s be real…a girl can never have enough workout clothes!

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.