Student Corner
Student Corner
SCAN's goal is to post interviews with student members of SCAN. Access this page often to view new contributions. Take advantage of this opportunity to share your nutrition interests, experiences, and goals with other students and all who access this Web site.
Patti Steinmuller, MS, RD, CSSD, is the coordinator for this section. She is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and is a sports nutrition educator. She has served as SCAN Secretary and Director of the Sports Dietetics-USA subunit. She now serves as SD-USA Past Director. Patti and Nancy DiMarco, PhD, RD, CSSD were recipients of the 2009 SCAN Achievement Award.
If you have an experience you would like to share with other students, Patti would like to hear from you. Once your idea is accepted, Patti will contact you and arrange an email interview with you regarding your education, experience, goals for the future, and thoughts about dietetics as a career—information you would like to share with others. Patti will work with you and guide you. You must be a student member of SCAN to participate. Be prepared to submit your resume and a Web quality photo, if available.
Contact Patti with your idea for SCAN's Student Corner:
Patti Steinmuller, MS, RD, CSSD 

Student Corner Coordinator

Email: psteinmul@msn.com
Recent Interviews
Jessica Alvarez
Dietetics Student
Lehman College
I am an undergraduate in the didactic program in Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition at Lehman College. I am 23 years old from Astoria, New York. I come from a very ethnic background being Colombian, Greek and Egyptian. My family is quite the opposite from most; my mother is the sport fanatic and father doesn't care for it, so sport was always a big deal. With three brothers and a mother following sports, it was only a matter of time before I did, too. I have always liked sports, basketball and baseball (Celtics and Yankees), but it wasn't until recently that I learned and loved football (Steelers & Panthers).
Laura Moretti
Dietetic Internship,
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital,
New York, NY
I received my Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in English in 2004 from Rutgers University. After working in financial services for five years I decided to change my career and become a Registered Dietitian. I completed my DPD curriculum at New York University. During this time, I also worked as an Office Manager and Nutrition Research Assistant at Columbus Park Collaborative Eating Disorder Treatment Center in New York City. I am currently enrolled in my Dietetic Internship at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and will complete my internship at the end of August. I plan on taking the RD registration exam this fall and will also return to New York University to pursue a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition. My other interests include traveling, skiing, triathlons, cooking, reading a good book on the beach, and spending time with my family and friends.
Stephanie M.C. Wilson
MS, RD, LDN
Doctoral Student,
Grand Canyon University
I completed my undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Nutrition and Dietetics at Saint Louis University. My master's degree is in Nutrition and Applied Physiology/Kinesiology with a Sports Nutrition Emphasis from the University of Florida. While I am interested in many aspects of research in sports performance, my favorite subjects include protein metabolism, injury rehab, antioxidant and sports supplements, and pediatric sports nutrition. I am currently enrolled as a doctoral student in an online Behavioral Health program at Grand Canyon University.
Robert Santana
MS, RD, LDN
Graduate, Iowa State University's Dietetic Internship Program, Orland Park, IL
I am 26-years old and currently reside in Orland Park, IL, a suburb southwest of Chicago. My academic background includes a Bachelor's degree (BS) in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Dietetics (2008) from Western Illinois University. I am currently working toward a Master's degree (MS) in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology, also at Western Illinois University. I completed my dietetic internship through Iowa State University this past November, obtained a position as a nutrition coach and personal trainer at Life Time Fitness in Orland Park, IL, and successfully passed the RD exam on my first attempt (12/27/2010). My passion is and always has been nutrition for health, fitness, and athletics and I plan to grow in that area in years to come.
Randi Drasin
BA, BS
Dietetic Intern Iowa State University Ames, IA
I am 46 years old and enrolled in the Distance Dietetics Internship Program at Iowa State University. How did I get here? Years after graduating from college with a BA in communications (1986), I returned to school in 2007 and earned a BS degree (August 2009) in dietetics as a distance dietetic student at the University of Northern Colorado. A diagnosis of cervical cancer combined with and failure to obtain an internship in April 2009 was devastating and forced me to change my career plans. After beginning graduate school at California State University at Northridge in January 2010, I was accepted as a distance intern with Iowa State University and began my internship this June. After completing the internship in November 2010 I will take the national registry exam to become a registered dietitian and then resume graduate to earn an MS degree in Dietetics and Food Science.
Karen Ketsche
Dietetic Intern
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
January 29, 2010
I grew up in Peachtree City, GA in a family that has always been active and health conscious. My father and one of my sisters run marathons competitively, my two other sisters are dedicated horseback riders, and my mom has run a marathon.
Needless to say, health and fitness have always been priorities for us! I was very serious about athletics and trained as a competitive gymnast for twelve years. Additionally, in high school I was involved in several extracurricular activities; my favorite was cheering for my high school’s basketball team. After high school I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University (May 2009). Now I am completing a dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. I hope to begin my career as a Registered Dietitian next summer.
Lauren Gasparo Anton
MS Candidate, Nutritional Sciences
Coordinated Dietetic Program
California State University, Los Angeles
June 19, 2009
I received a BA in English from Cornell University and an MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After acting professionally in theatre and commercials for several years, I decided to go into the field of dietetics.
Currently, I am interested in the prevention of eating disorders in athletes. I strongly believe that sport-specific nutrition education, if integrated into the training regimen at the beginning of the athlete’s career, can significantly decrease the incidence of disordered eating and, ultimately, full-blown eating disorders.
As far as sports, I’ve been running for over 20 years, having completed three marathons, two half-marathons and numerous 5 and 10K races. Recently, I bought a road bike and hope to start doing triathlons.
Jamie Tade
Dietetics student
Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois
January, 2009
My name is Jamie Tade and I’m 23 years old and I’m from a little suburb outside of Chicago called Elmhurst. I graduated from York High School in 2003 and joined the Army just weeks after graduation. I served with the famed 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY, and deployed with them to Baghdad, Iraq in September 2005. Since leaving the Army in December 2006, I have started my college education and am currently a sophomore and Dietetics major at Dominican University in suburban River Forest, Illinois.
Patrick Wilson
Family Consumer Science-Dietetics student
Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN
May 28th, 2007
I am from Chisholm, MN, a small town in northern Minnesota. I completed my general education courses at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and then decided I wanted to study nutrition. Because nutrition was not offered as a degree at that institution, I looked for nutrition programs at other schools in the state. I transferred to Minnesota State University, Mankato, where I am a Family Consumer Science-Dietetics student. I also have a minor in Corporate and Community Fitness. I am in the third year of the program and plan to graduate next spring.
James Lucas, BS
WIC Program
Athlete
February 10th, 2007
I am from Hamden, CT. I graduated from the University of Connecticut, Storrs in the spring of 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences. I also earned a minor in Nutrition for Sport & Exercise. I am currently working in the WIC Program.
Ashley Harpst, BS
Dietetic Intern
Recreational Surfer
Emory University
December 6th, 2006
I graduated from San Diego State University with a BS Degree in Foods and Nutrition. I love to surf. I also play soccer, roller blade, and I fence.
I chose the Emory University Hospital Dietetic Internship because this internship has a well respected clinical nutrition care program. This internship is challenging, but I am enjoying it because each rotation is unique and stimulating. I would like to do my elective rotation at Georgia Tech and work with the athletes. Lastly, the preceptors are very knowledgeable and supportive.
Pam Nisevich, BS
Dietetic Intern
Graduate Student
Ohio State University
I’m from Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, OH. An avid athlete, I competed in several sports in high school. As an undergraduate at Miami University (Ohio), I focused on soccer and running and toured the country with my club soccer teammates representing the Miami RedHawks. In my free time I enjoyed trail running and competing in a bike races. I still play soccer and bike but most of my efforts are focused on running. I am fresh from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, my fifth marathon. Not highly competitive in the marathon; my strong suit is the half-marathon.
Jeremy Johnson, BS
Public Health Nutritionist
Bodybuilder Competitor
I'm from the small town of Baxley in rural southeast Georgia. I began college majoring in architecture. Having taken drafting classes throughout high school, I thought architecture was the direction I wanted to go. However, it wasn't long before I became bored and started looking for a new direction. Nutrition had always interested me. Growing up in the deep-south, with the fried foods and down-home cooking we are known for, I became overweight as a child and early teen.
Eric Meredith
Graduate student, Masters of Human Nutrition Coordinated Program,
University of Illinois at Chicago
Over the course of my career, I have done many exciting things which include being a Russian linguist in the US Navy, selling Internet software for IBM and managing multiple restaurants at McDonald’s Corporation. Although I am very proud of my past accomplishments, my true calling is to help people improve their lives through nutrition, fitness and lifestyle education. In preparation for my journey to become America’s healthiest chef, I attended culinary school at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. After culinary school, I gained valuable food service experience at McDonald’s Corporation as a Restaurant Operations Consultant and later as a Director of Business Development for ARAMARK.
Lauren Kort
Nutrition Graduate Student Sports Nutrition Intern
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
I am a 1st year graduate student and an MPH Candidate at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Prior to attending UNC, I completed my BS in dietetics from the University of Dayton. I had a growing interest in nutrition, so I was thrilled to select a major that fit my interests and that I could use to help others. I am currently in a combined program where I’m earning a MPH degree in nutrition while completing my dietetic internship hours to become an RD. The highlight of my experience at UNC has been working with Jen Ketterly, MS, RD, CSSD, and Mary Ellen Bingham, MS, RD, CSSD as the sports nutrition intern working with UNC’s athletic teams.
Christopher P. Sunseri
BS, NSCA-CPT
Graduate Student in Sports Nutrition University of Houston
I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA where I was a member of a variety of sports in high school: wrestling, cross-country, swimming, drill team, cheerleading, and the Naval Junior R.O.T.C. athletic and drill team. After high school, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and became a mechanic for Huey and Cobra helicopters. I served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Bagram, Afghanistan and in New Orleans, LA in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Nuwanee Kirihennedige
Dietetic Intern
San Francisco State University, CA
October 24, 2009
My name is Nuwanee; I was born in Japan and I love eating and cooking. I started Karate when I was 9 years old. I learned Kendo, a Japanese traditional martial art using bamboo sword to fight, when I was a junior high school student. Currently I lift weights to stay strong and be in shape.
After graduating from high school in Osaka, Japan in 2002, I moved to the United States to obtain a world-class education in sports nutrition. Since I did not speak any English at the time I had to attend language school to pursue my goals. Within one year I enrolled in Ohlone College, a community college in Fremont, CA.
Kathleen Pollard
Dietetics Student
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Jan 01, 2009
I have always had an interest in nutrition. My mom is a Family and Consumer Science teacher. She enjoyed cooking and talking about foods and I always wanted to help in the kitchen. When I entered college I was not sure what to pursue because I had many interests. I decided on nutrition after realizing there were many different areas an RD can study. I also realized I could incorporate many of my other interests, athletics, international travel, marketing, and natural and organic products, into a nutrition career.
Namrita O'Dea
Master's Student in Nutrition
Georgia State University
November 26, 2007
After earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1998, I worked in software consulting for 8 years before deciding to change my career. Always interested in physical activity, I started adventure bicycle racing in 2001 and endurance mountain bike racing in 2004. While I raced primarily for fun, I knew I wanted to become better. I also knew that something missing was holding me back from performing better and, to a large extent, it was nutrition. I became more interested in nutrition for athletes and loved every minute I was able to spend with athletes.
Kristen Gravani
Dietetics Student
Cornell University
May 28, 2007
My name is Kristen Gravani and I am from Ithaca, NY. I am Nutritional Sciences major with an RD concentration/Communications minor. I am currently completing my junior year at Cornell University. I race for the Alpine Ski team at Cornell, so I am aware of the demands on a college athlete.
Nicole Hayes, RD
Clinical Dietitian
Professional Figure Skater
February 10, 2007
I recently graduated from a Coordinated Dietetic Internship/Master’s Degree program in Cleveland, Ohio. My dietetic internship was at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center and my graduate degree in Nutrition is from Case Western Reserve University. I successfully passed the RD exam on the first attempt, and currently I’m a Clinical Dietitian at a community-based hospital in the suburbs of Cleveland.
Adam Romney
Dietetics and Nutrition and Community Health
Department of Human Nutrition, Ohio State University
June 12, 2006
I am a senior in Nutrition and Community Health as well as Dietetics at the Ohio State University. I will also graduate with a Minor in Exercise Science. I hope to work in community nutrition or more directly in sports nutrition. While the thought of working with professional athletes is alluring, I'm leaning more towards working with physically active populations in general.
Ann Dunaway, BS
Graduate Student
Georgia State University
June 12, 2006
My name is Ann Dunaway. I earned a BA in Psychology from Davidson College and later continued my education at Georgia State University where I completed a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics in May 2005. Currently I am enrolled in the combined Master's degree in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship at Georgia State University. I plan to graduate in December 2006. Although I am uncertain now about pursuing a PhD, that may be an option in the future and a good reason for completing a Master's project.
Rachel Ernzen, BS
Dietetic Intern
VCU Health Systems, Richmond, VA
I received my undergraduate degree in Dietetics (Nutrition and Fitness emphasis) from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, in 2004. I completed a dietetic internship at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA in 2005. This is an 11-month generalist program with rotations in clinical dietetics, foodservice management, and community nutrition including five weeks of "affiliation" time. My internship exposed me to a wide variety of nutrition avenues and also provided me with flexibility to explore.
Lara Engler
Sports Nutrition
Undergraduate, Drexel University
I am Lara Engler from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. During high school I was a varsity field hockey and soccer player as well as a student athletic trainer. Currently, I am a senior at Drexel University in Philadelphia, majoring in Nutrition and Food Science. I plan to graduate in June 2006.
Amy Goodson
Dietetic Intern
Graduate Student
Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX
I am currently finishing my last year of graduate school in the Exercise and Sports Nutrition (ESN) Program at TWU Denton. My original degree is in speech communications with a minor in kinesiology from Texas Christian University (TCU). I've always been very interested in fitness and nutrition. I became an aerobics instructor in 2000 and a personal trainer in 2003.
Abigail Larson
Elite cross-country skier
Hello fellow SCAN members and dietetic students! I am Abigail Larson, BS Sports Science from Northern Michigan University, MS Exercise Science from Northern Michigan University, and dietetic verification statement from Montana State University; currently living in Bend, Oregon, soon to move back to Bozeman, Montana, and then on the road to Torino, Italy, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics!