Hi everyone! My name is Karina Tolentino and I am a distance intern in Sacramento, California. I started my internship last month in the community rotation with my first site in school nutrition at Lodi Unified School District. One activity I worked on was a health fair at an elementary school. On this day I had the pleasure of talking to students from kindergarten to sixth grade about the benefits of fruit. Not having significant experience educating this age group I was surprised to see how interested the students were in nutrition. Many students knew the basics of MyPlate and understood the concept that fruits are good for you and you should eat different colors. I learned to ask direct questions quickly to keep them engaged. A good tip for other interns: kids love stickers! So make sure to have some at your presentation.
I am now interning with University of California Davis’ occupational health dietitian. At UC Davis my work is focused on developing wellness programs for staff and faculty. This includes researching and creating a proposal for the steps need to implement the program. The programs that I am working on are creating a walking program, a campaign to take the stairs instead of elevators, and a challenge to eat healthy during the holidays. I am enjoying this rotation because I can explore my creativity, marketing, and social media skills to help the community of Davis. I have also been able to gain insight on how employers are really trying to promote healthy habits in the workplace.
At the same time, I am also splitting my time interning with a local non-profit, The Health Education Council. This organization works to provide the community education and resources for living a healthy lifestyle. This includes education of nutrition, tobacco use, physical activity, and violence prevention. Here I have been able to create newsletters and flyers to increase participation in their programs. I am also working on a presentation to help educate the Hispanic community about drinking less sugary drinks. Next week I will be planning a cooking class with 4th and 5th graders. So far all my experiences have been very rewarding!
Anywhere that you chose to intern in a community setting will have work for you. More often there will be too much work! One thing that surprised me was how connected nutrition professionals are. Whether they are dietitians or not, ALL of my preceptors and staff from all my sites have worked with one another at some point. So remember to always be professional and build a good network. You never know whom you may work with in the future!
I am now interning with University of California Davis’ occupational health dietitian. At UC Davis my work is focused on developing wellness programs for staff and faculty. This includes researching and creating a proposal for the steps need to implement the program. The programs that I am working on are creating a walking program, a campaign to take the stairs instead of elevators, and a challenge to eat healthy during the holidays. I am enjoying this rotation because I can explore my creativity, marketing, and social media skills to help the community of Davis. I have also been able to gain insight on how employers are really trying to promote healthy habits in the workplace.
At the same time, I am also splitting my time interning with a local non-profit, The Health Education Council. This organization works to provide the community education and resources for living a healthy lifestyle. This includes education of nutrition, tobacco use, physical activity, and violence prevention. Here I have been able to create newsletters and flyers to increase participation in their programs. I am also working on a presentation to help educate the Hispanic community about drinking less sugary drinks. Next week I will be planning a cooking class with 4th and 5th graders. So far all my experiences have been very rewarding!
Anywhere that you chose to intern in a community setting will have work for you. More often there will be too much work! One thing that surprised me was how connected nutrition professionals are. Whether they are dietitians or not, ALL of my preceptors and staff from all my sites have worked with one another at some point. So remember to always be professional and build a good network. You never know whom you may work with in the future!
