What inspired or interested you about your field of study? And why did you choose OSU/the college?

I was inspired to study nutrition after being curious about the foods we eat, food systems at play, and what contributes to the development and prevention of diseases. Nutrition research is an area of scientific study that continues to grow as we work towards more preventative health measures. Oregon State is an amazing research university and my grandfather was a professor of Food Science for many years here, so it felt like a perfect fit.

Tell us about your time at Oregon State and in the college. Is there someone or something who/that helped you be successful?

As someone born and raised in Corvallis, my time at OSU extends beyond my time as a student. Despite knowing Corvallis and the OSU campus well, the cohort based nature of my program is something that contributed to my academic success. For the past 2 years I have gotten to be a part of a close knit group of peers and faced various challenges together, guided by our program faculty.

What are your post-college dreams/plans?

After finishing my degree I plan to take time to work before applying to an Occupational Therapy Doctoral program or Medical School. I plan to use my degree by working in clinical research or administering public health initiatives. Following OT or medical school, I want to work in rehabilitative or pediatric care.

Anything else you'd like to add?

My advice to future students is to take advantage of the many research options at Oregon State, even in other disciplines. I was lucky enough to work in labs at the Linus Pauling Institute and the Bone Research Lab. It is an amazing opportunity to gain applicable, transferable skills and will help you understand how the content you are learning can be applied to the real world.