Growing up I never put much thought into what I ate, I was physically active as most children are and fortunate enough to have a high metabolism and naturally slim physique. Around the age of eight, and coincidentally timed with my family’s move to Chattanooga, TN, I often became physically ill and my parents eventually took action to find out why. Multiple doctors, tests, and endoscopies later, my initial hospitalization was written off as strep, with continuing symptoms of nausea and vomiting diagnosed as gastritis and acid reflux disease (GERD). I was prescribed Prevacid and Nexium over the following years but it was still a mystery as to what sparked my sudden symptoms.

Still, from that time in my childhood until my junior year in high school, it was routine for me to wake up in the morning with my own form of “morning sickness” and to skip breakfast before heading off to school. I was about ten pounds below the average weight for my age during these years, and my doctors recommended a strict diet. Completely gone from my diet were some of my favorite foods: pizza, french fries and ketchup, chocolate, and sodas. The idea was to avoid foods with high acid, fat, or caffeine content to avoid the effects of acid reflux.

This condition made me feel isolated from my peers, as I did not tell anyone about my morning routine or why I never ate the cafeteria food at school. I was often jealous of my sister who could eat all of my favorite foods and did not feel a thing! So, what lead to the onset of my condition and symptoms? I remember a doctor asking my mom what my social life was like and if I had made any friends at my new school. She said no, and it made sense that my anxiety from moving from four different states in two years and inability to put roots down anywhere I went made me emotionally and as a result physically unhealthy.  

We maintained this diet as it seemed to best control my symptoms, and around my sixth grade year my dad was diagnosed with high cholesterol. It seemed almost overnight my house was cleared of all conventional, overly processed foods and we began eating only organic or all-natural groceries and produce. This was a result of my dad’s own research on how to help himself, and in hindsight is not economically feasible for everyone. Still, we began shopping at Greenlife Grocery in North Chattanooga, and I began to like the substitutes for my once favorite snacks (i.e. Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies in place of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish). We were also banned from eating fast food in my household, which was not an issue for me at this point because I could not drive. Still, it took time for my family to adjust from snack foods and junk foods with high fat and sugar content and artificial preservatives and sweeteners to 100% “clean eating.” When my dad received news that his cholesterol levels had returned to normal without the use of prescription drugs, he was convinced that this new diet was the best prognosis for me and my family.

Without knowing it, I became the person to turn to about healthy eating amongst my friend group by the time I was about to graduate from high school. Over the years I became happier and more comfortable at my schools, and this positive change in my mental health eventually led to a complete cessation of my symptoms. My friends would joke that I could make a career out of my passion for healthy eating, but I had no interest at the time. In fact, it was not until my sophomore year at UT when I first learned about the undergraduate nutrition program that I enrolled in Introductory Nutrition and was sold on what I wanted to study.

It was a struggle for me, not having taken any elective science classes in high school and avoiding chemistry and biology like the plague my freshman year at UT. Still, I worked hard to succeed in my science classes even though they were never my forte. I have retaken several classes, but I am proud to say that I have a 3.3 GPA in my senior year, one semester before graduating. I have explored different options in what I plan to do after graduation. First, I worked as a nutrition assistant at Summit View Health Services my junior year as an aide to the dietetic services they provided. The next year I became a pharmacy technician at CVS as I contemplated the pharmacy school path. Though I liked both options, and maybe because of this, I was at a loss as to what my next step should be after graduation. This was one of several reasons why I left UT in the spring of 2016 and returned home to Chattanooga, in addition to some financial struggles which led me to begin working full-time. I realized I knew little about finances, as I had not taken many business classes, so I enrolled in Principles of Accounting at Chattanooga State.

I loved it and my mom, an accounting major, encouraged me to pursue this as my new career path. Still, I have a passion for nutrition and wellness that I want to incorporate into my career as well.

My goal is to complete my nutrition degree in the spring of 2018 here at UT, and obtain my dietetic technician certification shortly thereafter. Once returning to Chattanooga, I plan to work in dietetics either in a hospital or nursing home setting. I would like to have a degree of certain financial stability before applying to the Master’s of Accountancy (MAcc) program at UTC. This will require more undergraduate credits that are prerequisites for the program, since I have only taken a couple of accounting classes, so I know I have a long road ahead of me. With a Master’s in Accounting I believe I will have the knowledge and ability to oversee my own practice in the future, ideally a wellness clinic founded on the principles of nutrition therapy, providing natural alternatives to helping those with conditions that are directly affected by nutrition, just like my own.