Hello! My name is Holly DeLong, and I am currently an intern with the Sodexo Philadelphia campus. I just completed my clinical rotation—a huge milestone in the internship process! I remember attending orientation and feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the rigorous schedule ahead. Now, I can’t believe I am already done with the largest portion of the program. Prior to starting the internship, I had limited clinical experience and found myself feeling intimidated and rather clueless in this setting. Getting comfortable with the critical condition of patients, scary machines, and severity of disease in the hospital environment was certainly a challenge, but it resulted in an immense amount of personal and professional growth. I had to constantly remind myself that my inexperience did not equal inadequacy, and learning was my purpose for being there. So, my advice to future interns: do not be afraid to ask any and all questions you may have, and do not let uncertainty or confusion degrade your confidence.
After completing the clinical rotation, I moved on to my chosen concentration in wellness, where I’m working with a private practice dietitian at Vitality Nutrition and Wellness Center in Linwood, NJ. I feel so fortunate to be able to have chosen and secured this opportunity for myself; allowing me to spend time in a setting that is closely aligned with my future goals. The field of nutrition is a second career for me, one I chose to pursue because of a passion for helping people find ways to improve their health and develop a positive relationship with food. At Vitality Wellness center, we use motivational interviewing to guide clients toward positive change and more mindful eating. Clients learn the importance of nutrition to overall wellness, as well as the importance of stress reduction, sleep, and exercise. I have already witnessed incredible transformations and am energized by the idea of impacting public health through disease prevention. I also love the diversity of the clientele in this setting. In one day, I was able to take part in sessions focused on food allergies, weight management, eating disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease symptom reduction. I will also have the opportunity to spend many of my community hours at this practice, which was a huge plus for me as much of my experience prior to the internship was gained in more traditional community settings such as WIC and YMCA’s diabetes prevention program and I wanted to see a different aspect of community nutrition.
Completing my DI with Sodexo was not my original plan, and wasn’t even an option I considered until I didn’t match with my chosen programs in Fall 2018. However, I am so thrilled things worked out as they did and I matched with Sodexo in Spring 2019. The program is so well organized and the support I’ve received from the amazing directors, fellow interns, and other classes has been amazing! I just love the flexibility of the program and that I’ve been able to tailor many aspects of the program to my interests and specific needs. The wide range of experience I am gaining through this internship will make me a more well-rounded future RD. I really believe that this is where I was meant to be and I am so grateful to be a Sodexo intern.
After completing the clinical rotation, I moved on to my chosen concentration in wellness, where I’m working with a private practice dietitian at Vitality Nutrition and Wellness Center in Linwood, NJ. I feel so fortunate to be able to have chosen and secured this opportunity for myself; allowing me to spend time in a setting that is closely aligned with my future goals. The field of nutrition is a second career for me, one I chose to pursue because of a passion for helping people find ways to improve their health and develop a positive relationship with food. At Vitality Wellness center, we use motivational interviewing to guide clients toward positive change and more mindful eating. Clients learn the importance of nutrition to overall wellness, as well as the importance of stress reduction, sleep, and exercise. I have already witnessed incredible transformations and am energized by the idea of impacting public health through disease prevention. I also love the diversity of the clientele in this setting. In one day, I was able to take part in sessions focused on food allergies, weight management, eating disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease symptom reduction. I will also have the opportunity to spend many of my community hours at this practice, which was a huge plus for me as much of my experience prior to the internship was gained in more traditional community settings such as WIC and YMCA’s diabetes prevention program and I wanted to see a different aspect of community nutrition.
Completing my DI with Sodexo was not my original plan, and wasn’t even an option I considered until I didn’t match with my chosen programs in Fall 2018. However, I am so thrilled things worked out as they did and I matched with Sodexo in Spring 2019. The program is so well organized and the support I’ve received from the amazing directors, fellow interns, and other classes has been amazing! I just love the flexibility of the program and that I’ve been able to tailor many aspects of the program to my interests and specific needs. The wide range of experience I am gaining through this internship will make me a more well-rounded future RD. I really believe that this is where I was meant to be and I am so grateful to be a Sodexo intern.
