Hi.
My name is Carolyn Huntington. I graduated from Framingham State University in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in December 2019. I am now a region 1 Sodexo intern and also enrolled in the M.S. in Dietetics at University of Rhode Island. I applied to the Sodexo Internship because it allows for flexibility and I can do rotations close to my home.
I started my rotations with food service at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. While at Curry, I got great food service experience at The Marketplace student dining area. I worked in all four stations, The Deli, Euro, Global (frequently vegan), and Flame (pizza, pasta and burgers). I also experienced a community building Hawaiian Luau themed dinner with tropical smoothies and buffet. While there, my preceptors suggested I develop a Celiac Awareness Table for the upcoming Wellness Wednesday Health Fair in the student dining area. After talking with students and my preceptors about the students’ preferences, I chose an appropriate recipe for gluten free food samples that would appeal to the students: “Quinoa Taco Bowls.” I altered the recipe to use vegan cheese and decided to leave toppings on the side because students really prefer to choose what they like. I also expanded the recipe and made a list of ingredients that needed to be ordered, designed marketing flyers, educational table sheets, and developed a survey to measure the outcome. My preceptors were great and supported me through the project, including with food presentation and decorating the table. I really enjoyed interacting and educating the students and the student surveys showed they enjoyed the samples and learned about celiac disease.
My name is Carolyn Huntington. I graduated from Framingham State University in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in December 2019. I am now a region 1 Sodexo intern and also enrolled in the M.S. in Dietetics at University of Rhode Island. I applied to the Sodexo Internship because it allows for flexibility and I can do rotations close to my home.
I started my rotations with food service at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. While at Curry, I got great food service experience at The Marketplace student dining area. I worked in all four stations, The Deli, Euro, Global (frequently vegan), and Flame (pizza, pasta and burgers). I also experienced a community building Hawaiian Luau themed dinner with tropical smoothies and buffet. While there, my preceptors suggested I develop a Celiac Awareness Table for the upcoming Wellness Wednesday Health Fair in the student dining area. After talking with students and my preceptors about the students’ preferences, I chose an appropriate recipe for gluten free food samples that would appeal to the students: “Quinoa Taco Bowls.” I altered the recipe to use vegan cheese and decided to leave toppings on the side because students really prefer to choose what they like. I also expanded the recipe and made a list of ingredients that needed to be ordered, designed marketing flyers, educational table sheets, and developed a survey to measure the outcome. My preceptors were great and supported me through the project, including with food presentation and decorating the table. I really enjoyed interacting and educating the students and the student surveys showed they enjoyed the samples and learned about celiac disease.
This has been an unusual year for everyone with the pandemic. When we were sent home from rotations, the Sodexo directors did an amazing job of putting together a large collection of relevant online learning experiences and supporting us through the changes with COVID-19. I am really grateful because it allowed me to continue moving forward and learning. The positive aspect of learning online is that I have been able to personalize my learning experiences even more for my preferences in nutrition. Online learning gave me the opportunity to take webinars in Nutrition Policy through Hunter College and understand the increased challenges of food insecurity in New York City during COVID-19. I also spent four days at webinars through the American Society of Nutrition’s Annual Convention, which was moved online due to COVID -19. Some of those webinars included Influences of Eating Patterns on Sleep and Metabolic Health, Supplementing Protein for Healthy Aging, Optimizing Nutrition to Optimize Aging, Ethics in Nutrition, and Sustainable Diets.
My Sodexo internship has been a great learning experience, and I am excited to move on to my clinical rotation when the hospitals are ready for us! Congratulations to all the 2020 nutrition graduates out there!
My Sodexo internship has been a great learning experience, and I am excited to move on to my clinical rotation when the hospitals are ready for us! Congratulations to all the 2020 nutrition graduates out there!
