Hi everyone! My name is Jacquie Conner and I am a current Sodexo dietetic intern from Minneapolis, Minnesota! My first rotation I completed in the program was my concentration, which was wellness. I completed this rotation at Bethel University, which is a small university in Arden Hills, Minnesota. This rotation has taught me so much about wellness and promoting positive health behaviors to college students. The bulk of my rotation was to put on events that would engage the students in various health and nutrition topics and get them interested in implementing nutrition and wellness into their everyday life. The staff at Bethel have been incredibly helpful and have taught me so much about Sodexo as a company in the university sector.
The first event I helped complete was a Smoothie Bike stand. This event was during homecoming week at the school, and its goal was to get the students learning about pre-workout fuel as well as how to incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables into their diet. The school had blender bikes from the brand Rock the Bike, where a blender was attached to the bike and the students would peddle the bike to blend the smoothie. It was a huge success, and the students were very engaged in the physical activity portion as well as the fiber and fruit filled smoothie!
The first event I helped complete was a Smoothie Bike stand. This event was during homecoming week at the school, and its goal was to get the students learning about pre-workout fuel as well as how to incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables into their diet. The school had blender bikes from the brand Rock the Bike, where a blender was attached to the bike and the students would peddle the bike to blend the smoothie. It was a huge success, and the students were very engaged in the physical activity portion as well as the fiber and fruit filled smoothie!
While the smoothie bike event was fantastic, the main project for my wellness rotation was my tabling event. This entails of a table set up in the university dining hall to promote a nutrition related topic and sample some nutritious foods. I chose to do my event on plant-based protein, and I hosted a hummus bar taste test with three different types of hummus and various snacks to dip. I created social media posts and promotional boards to advertise the event. Recipe cards were given out at the event and the poster shared information on the sustainability and nutrition benefits of different types of beans. Lastly, a giveaway portion of the event consisted of a student entering their name to win a NutriBullet blender to make their own hummus in their dorm rooms! This was a huge draw for people to stop at my table and try some hummus. So many students had not tried black bean or chocolate hummus, and they were so happy they had tried something new. Because of this event’s success, another Sodexo account saw the social media posts and asked if they could have permission to use the idea! This was so exciting for me, and I was so proud of the work I had put into the event. Using my creativity skills in promoting the event on social media platforms unlocked for me a skill did not even know I had!
My time in the wellness rotation has only gotten me more excited for what is to come in this journey of becoming a Registered Dietitian!
My time in the wellness rotation has only gotten me more excited for what is to come in this journey of becoming a Registered Dietitian!
