Personal Statement

Nutrition is a key ingredient to optimal wellness and nutrition and

dietetics is the best profession to fulfill my passion for helping others
learn, grow, and live a healthy life style. I have wanted to work in the
health care setting since I was a young girl. I chose to specify in
nutrition because food choices are controllable variables that make a
huge impact on how you function and feel. With the growing elderly
population and the increase in chronic disease, I want to make a
positive impact on society through applying my nutrition and food
service related knowledge and skills.
On June 11, 2016 I will not only receive my Bachelor of Science in
Nutrition Dietetics at Oregon State University, but I will also be
graduating with the highest honors with a 3.9 grade point average.
With my degree I will have undergone the completion of Accreditation
Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Didactic
Program in Dietetics (DPD). In July 2016 I plan on getting my Nutrition
and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) certification so I can
further myself academically and adequately apply my knowledge and
skills to the community.
Throughout college I have worked approximately 25 hours a
week as a waitress. Through being a waitress I have learned social
perceptiveness; organizing, planning, and prioritizing work; assisting
and caring for others; food, equipment, and industry knowledge; and
efficient communication skills with supervisors, coworkers, and
customers. Specific to waitressing I have learned how to bartend with a
full-bar; adequately present wine during table service; efficiently use
MICROS Systems software; and adequately guide customers through
the menu by relaying my dense food and drink knowledge including
modification to tend to special dietary needs like gluten-free, lactosefree, egg-free, and peanut-free to leave customers satisfied and
nutritionally complete.
A personal strength of mine is my ability to connect well with all
types of people and create a welcoming and comfortable environment.
People are more willing to ask questions, relay personal information,
and confide in me because of my positive aura, openness, and genuine
care and concern for others. Another strength of mine is menu
planning and recipe creation. I have created two recipes that have
made it to a restaurant called Pangea at Oregon State University and
adequately quantified them for mass production in a collegiate setting.

Not only can I make a scrumptious recipe that the general population
enjoys, but I also have the knowledge and skills to make a patient with
specific dietary needs and limitations a food that they like, which will
provide patient satisfaction and essential nutrients for optimal health.
Along with food knowledge, I can use my food service background to
serve food and bus dishes, help customers make educated food
decisions, properly use LunchByte Systems NUTRIKIDS and MICROS
Systems software, as well as use my nutrition education to properly
analyze food waste and micro- and macronutrient status by using
SuperTracker.
I have room for improvement in public speaking. I can relate to
individuals one-on-one or in a small informal group setting, but I need
more practice with eye contact and formal large engagements. I would
also love to learn Spanish because I feel that Spanish would help me
communicate more efficiently with specific populations- both
colleagues and patients.
I want to be a NDTR in a hospital or retirement home because I
have a strong passion to be in the health care setting. Working in a
hospital would be great because I excel in fast paced environments
and I would love to help people make educated food choices that are
appropriate for their specific dietary needs throughout the life span.
Also, working in a hospital will allow me see all different aspects of
nutrition in accordance with the severity of the condition and state of
the patient.
I would also love to be a NDTR in a retirement home because I
think nutrition is a very important aspect of chronic disease prevention
and to delay muscle wasting. Proper nutrition support and services also
aid in increased quality of life by providing options as the natural
processes of aging starts altering taste, preferences, and mastication
abilities. I am determined to properly record plate waste to prevent
malnutrition and I am also determined to keep a smile on my face and
brighten the days of my peers and residential patients.
I would make a great candidate as a NDTR because of my long
food service history as a waitress and prestige education in Nutrition
Dietetics as Oregon State University. My goal is to immerse myself with
knowledge so if a person comes to me for advice, questions, comments
or concerns, I am ready to help. I strive to develop sincere relationships
so people feel comfortable conversing with me about any issues and
can trust me to implement a positive change in their lives. I am looking
forward to apply my nutrition and food service related knowledge and

skills into real life and help educate others and help people make
knowledgeable food choices in attempts to leave them satisfied and
equip with all the essential nutrients to thrive!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Katie Chambers.