As a child growing up in Manila, Philippines, I saw countless people who lacked adequate health care, exacerbated by poor nutrition and chronic deficiencies in their physical and mental health. This experience affected my outlook on life, inspiring me to encourage positive change and motivating me to enter the field of nutrition and dietetics. I did not simply see poverty bringing down a nation’s health, I was immersed in it. I was born into a family that loved food but misunderstood its value and purpose, also spurning physical activity – a deadly combination.
As I entered adult life, I watched close family members battle type-2 diabetes and two of them passed away from diabetes complications in their early fifties. This heightened my interest in and dedication to the battle against diabetes early on. I married into an Iranian American Jewish family that shares similar food habits as my native culture, with more than half of my husband’s family not only diagnosed with type-2 diabetes but also battling obesity ranging from class 1 to 3, throughout most of their lives. When I began having children, I became more aware of and concerned about the poor eating habits ingrained deeply in my extended family.
It took me over five years to get back to normal weight after my first child and during my second pregnancy I was myself diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I found myself researching nutrition and exercise in my spare time which led me to pursue a career in utilizing food and physical activity to prevent and manage disease and obesity. Today, as a mother of two, my passion for healthy nutrition continues to grow – grounded in my own immigrant experience as a young woman from the Philippines, very much impressed by the great need for better nutrition in my home country as well as among my fellow immigrants here in America. I use the memory of my childhood experiences and the knowledge I have gained through nutrition courses to better my own health and that of my family. I have enjoyed some success, persuading my husband’s brother, for example, to follow a diabetic diet with the help of one of their cousins who is an RD.
Over the years, I have distinguished myself as a volunteer in clinical and food service settings around Los Angeles, volunteering at Broadway by the Sea, a long-term care facility, and Jewish Family Service (JFS), a multi-service agency providing a wide range of human services at every life cycle. Working under the supervision of an RD in a long-term care facility has enabled me to learn more about the special needs of geriatric patients, particularly with respect to a variety of therapeutic diets.
One patient at Broadway by the Sea, Mr. DI, stands out in my mind. He suffered from hemiparesis, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, a stage-4 pressure ulcer of left hip and several other ailments. His pressure ulcer worsened from stage 2 to stage 4 within months at the time that I helped to care for him, and he started losing weight because he wouldn’t eat his diabetic diet order. I did my best to encourage his intake at mealtimes and even tried his therapeutic diet so that I could share the mealtime experience with him. Mr. DI’s RD and I recommended changing therapeutic meals based on his food preferences. Since he preferred poultry, fish, and meat, we offered him high-protein meal alternatives such as salmon, chicken without the skin and leanest meat options. He also had high protein supplements and snacks. Mr. DI started eating more and slowly gained weight. His pressure ulcer improved to stage-2 by the time I finished volunteering at Broadway by the Sea.
My volunteer experiences have helped me to develop a rapport with clinical RDs, dietary managers, and front-line kitchen staff – inspiring me to become a tireless advocate for elderly care programs and the improvement of nutrition for older people with a focus on wellness and diabetes management. I look forward to a long professional lifetime contributing to research and practice in the control of type-2 diabetes among older people. I could not be more excited about the prospect of my increasing participation in the struggle against diabetes, especially helping older people to lose weight.
My volunteer experiences at the Chaverim, a JFS special social program for people with disabilities, and Home Visitor, a home visitation program for seniors, taught me how to actively listen to clients, paying close attention to the content of their words along with the feelings that they convey. During a Chanukah party at the Chaverim, the catering was over two hours late. The participants began to wander around and ask about the food, showing understandable signs of impatience. I interpreted this as an indication to help, so I decided to help entertain the guests with Israeli dances and Chanukah songs. The foodservice staff finally arrived, and the guests ended up with a lovely Chanukah meal despite the issues in the kitchen.
My work with JFS gave me the opportunity to become a compassionate human services provider and advocate for families and individuals at every stage of the life cycle.
I started my own business, the Operetta Café & Restaurant while still a full partner at the multinational Career Edge, Inc. I gained many positive and profitable life experiences as a restaurant owner and as I train for a career in nutrition, I am glad that I have a deep, inside understanding of the foodservice world. Owning Operetta has allowed me to apply food safety concepts in a food service setting such as prevention of cross-contamination, time-temperature abuse, and HAACP plans. Prior to taking over Operetta from the previous owner, its health inspection grades varied from B to C.
Two critical violations will result in a B. I noticed that most of the violations were time-temperature abuse, cross-contamination and HAACP plans. I solved this problem by training staff on a regular basis on the importance of time, temperature, and use of the food thermometer, preventing food contamination by employees, practicing good personal hygiene, basic knowledge of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks and instructions on cross contamination. The regular basic employee training and refresher courses relieved stressful moments from health inspections.
Operetta started passing with excellence, earning an A, 90 to 100 points, which means the restaurant establishment is superior in food handling practices and overall food facility maintenance. Similarly, I was able to cut six months from the hiring and training process by outsourcing (BPO) to offices in Manila and Cebu, Philippines. I also cut the cost of starting the BPO offices by nearly $100,000 off the original budget. Effective financial and organizational management, the ability to delegate and problem solve, and clear, open communication were some of the skills that I improved upon as an owner for both business enterprises.
One aspect of my professional career that needs improvement is that sometimes I focus too much on details. I tend to get too curious and distracted by the finer points of a project and I frequently end up spending too much time reading something that may be only slightly relevant. I have become increasingly disciplined and focused, however, as I gain experience. In nutrition and dietetics, I believe that it’s particularly important to stay organized and prioritize and this will enable me to stay focused.
As a result of my extensive background in information technology, I created a walking and running tracker app in early 2017 to better integrate technology into everyday life as an easy and effective way to keep people motivated to achieve and to realize their health and fitness goals. This app has inspired many of my family members and friends to increase their level of physical activity.
After graduating from UXX, I would like to practice as a clinical dietitian in a geriatrics setting with emphasis on wellness and diabetes management. I believe that the elderly population can benefit from adopting good health and wellness habits through counseling and education programs. With healthy food and physical activity habits integrated into longtime favorite hobbies and interests, the elderly can enjoy a higher quality of life for a longer period. I also plan to become a Certified Diabetes Educator. My long-term goal is to assume a managerial role in a clinical geriatrics field and someday open my own practice focused on diabetes care.
Of all the graduate programs with coordinated dietetics internship in the country, UXX’s master's program in Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity excites me the most because of UXX’s sterling reputation and the wide range of courses taught by leaders in their fields, launching graduates into promising professional careers. Most importantly, it would be an honor to study under Dr. ____ ____, whose research on diabetes I especially admire. I do not submit this application halfheartedly; it has been my passionate intention for years. I am now fully prepared academically and mentally to undertake the rigor of your program.
Thank you for considering my application to the XXXX School at UXX.
Nutrition Master Statement of Purpose Examples