Hi everyone. My name is Lauren and I’m an intern in region 3. The internship experience so far has definitely been an interesting one. I’m learning a lot, not only about what it’s like to be a dietitian working in different fields, but also about myself as a person.
I was a ball of both nerves and excitement going into the start of the internship this past September, as I had heard from friends who had interned in multiple different programs how intense it would be. Thankfully, even though Sodexo is a distance program, my advisor and the other region 3 interns have always been reachable when needed and have been a good source of support.
My first rotation was food service at Societe Generale, one of the Sodexo corporate accounts. The site is located in a high rise building in Manhattan. Under normal circumstances, this site has kitchens on multiple floors with adjacent cafes containing stations for hot food, salads, smoothies, etc. However, because of Covid-19, the site was functioning at a fraction of the capacity. They had moved to one floor with a “direct to desk” system for food delivery. Although this made it difficult in some respects to complete certain assignments, it also presented a unique opportunity. I, along with another intern also assigned to the site, was able to have more one-on-one time with the staff. They were able to sit down with us and we were able to get information from, as well as develop relationships with, them that we might not have been able to otherwise. Because of the Covid restrictions, we could not do our retail marketing assignment as planned. However, we were able to adapt it into “selling a meal” to the staff by using the relationship we built with them. We used the personal knowledge we had gained to build a healthy lunch that was culturally relevant and appealing.
Since completing my food service rotation, I have had to do my community, concentration (wellness), and LTC rotations from home. During my community and wellness rotations, I worked with two different RDs on many social media projects like blogs, Instagram posts, email blasts, media quotes for e-magazines like “Eat This Not That,” “Women’s Health,” and “Food Network.” During this time, I learned how important it is to have a social media presence as a dietitian, particularly if you plan on going into private practice.
Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much about myself as well. The internship has taught me that I am brave, adaptable, smart, and someone who needs structure and won't back down from a challenge. To incoming interns, if I could give you any advice, it would be to just roll with the punches. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially now. Know that you made it this far, so you are smart and capable. Be flexible and try to make the most of this experience. It will be over before you know it!
I was a ball of both nerves and excitement going into the start of the internship this past September, as I had heard from friends who had interned in multiple different programs how intense it would be. Thankfully, even though Sodexo is a distance program, my advisor and the other region 3 interns have always been reachable when needed and have been a good source of support.
My first rotation was food service at Societe Generale, one of the Sodexo corporate accounts. The site is located in a high rise building in Manhattan. Under normal circumstances, this site has kitchens on multiple floors with adjacent cafes containing stations for hot food, salads, smoothies, etc. However, because of Covid-19, the site was functioning at a fraction of the capacity. They had moved to one floor with a “direct to desk” system for food delivery. Although this made it difficult in some respects to complete certain assignments, it also presented a unique opportunity. I, along with another intern also assigned to the site, was able to have more one-on-one time with the staff. They were able to sit down with us and we were able to get information from, as well as develop relationships with, them that we might not have been able to otherwise. Because of the Covid restrictions, we could not do our retail marketing assignment as planned. However, we were able to adapt it into “selling a meal” to the staff by using the relationship we built with them. We used the personal knowledge we had gained to build a healthy lunch that was culturally relevant and appealing.
Since completing my food service rotation, I have had to do my community, concentration (wellness), and LTC rotations from home. During my community and wellness rotations, I worked with two different RDs on many social media projects like blogs, Instagram posts, email blasts, media quotes for e-magazines like “Eat This Not That,” “Women’s Health,” and “Food Network.” During this time, I learned how important it is to have a social media presence as a dietitian, particularly if you plan on going into private practice.
Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much about myself as well. The internship has taught me that I am brave, adaptable, smart, and someone who needs structure and won't back down from a challenge. To incoming interns, if I could give you any advice, it would be to just roll with the punches. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially now. Know that you made it this far, so you are smart and capable. Be flexible and try to make the most of this experience. It will be over before you know it!
