About Me

WHY FOOD & NUTRITION?

When I was a little kid, I moved to a new place about every three years because of my dad's job. During that time, the meals that my mom made for the family were a welcome source of stability for me. Familiar meals (spaghetti, taco night, breakfast cereal) were something that I could predict, ask for, and count on even amidst the unease of moving to a new place. When I had to face unfamiliarity almost everywhere else, having a meal that was familiar - and delicious! - was grounding and comforting. My interest in food & nutrition is rooted in that phenomenon: the unique way that food can shape experiences. Food is exciting because it can impact lives in ways both physical and psychological. Though there is a lot of high-quality scientific evidence out there about nutrition and food, it's not strictly scientific in practice. There is a human element. In a hospital, for instance, the option to choose a tasty, nourishing meal can help someone feel better emotionally, and having appealing choices could encourage them to actually eat the meal, supporting their physical wellness. And even on a more mundane level (think: snacks and drinks on an airplane), food can improve - or ruin - an experience beyond satisfying basic hunger.

In my work as a registered dietitian, I follow the scientific evidence and well-researched guidelines, but also honor the human element: every individual and experience is different. I want to help make nutrition information accessible and digestible for all. Down the road, I am interested in returning to working in the food industry with a sharpened nutrition perspective.

BACKGROUND & EDUCATION

I graduated from The University of Alabama in 2017 with a degree in chemical engineering and started working in the food industry. I was an engineer at a food ingredient plant, and later worked in quality assurance at an artisanal salami company. I loved these experiences and knew that food was the field for me, but I also wanted to learn more about the nutrition side of things. I went back to school for my M.S. in nutritional sciences from San Diego State University, graduating in 2023. In May 2025, I graduated from my dietetic internship at the VA in San Diego. I passed the RD exam and became a registered dietitian in June 2025.

I am deeply grateful to my family, friends, and mentors along the way who helped me get to this point. I'm eager to share what I've learned about food & nutrition over the years while continuing to learn new things. I recently moved to Okinawa, Japan (for my spouse's job) so I'm learning new things about different cultural cuisines and food & nutrition philosophies all the time these days!