- Author: Emily Valdez
- Contributor: Shawna Rogers
- Editor: Emily Harris
Fresno County's UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.
My rotation at UC Cal Fresh has been a fun experience filled with many opportunities to learn and try new things. I did everything during my rotation, from traveling to schools in Coalinga to teach students about MyPlate, to doing physical activity with the participants from Rescue the Children, to entering data, to watching presentations from NFCS (Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences) Advisor candidates. Everyone in the office was very welcoming and kind, and I was extremely grateful to do part of my internship here. Two weeks is too short for this rotation!
I did not know much about this nutrition program when I started; I only knew that they taught students about nutrition- which is what I was most nervous about. I have not had much experience with children, so I was a little hesitant to step up and teach them about MyPlate on my first day. However, because of the very supportive and friendly staff I was given the privilege to work with, I was teaching students with no problem by my second day! This rotation really helped me step out of my comfort zone. It was also very rewarding to see how such young children could be so interested in nutrition; they knew so much! By the end of my second day, I was able to recite the fun songs with the students. I really felt like I was teaching them something, and hopefully influencing them to make healthy choices. I was glad I was able to get this unique opportunity to work with students in the classroom; it made me more confident and comfortable working with this age group, and it also taught me some classroom management skills!
When I wasn't out in the schools teaching and observing I was usually helping with the EFNEP data entry, which was not the most exciting task, but I knew I was helping a very swamped employee lighten her load. Apart from that, during my first week I also had the opportunity to sit in on seminars and meet and greets with the NFCS Advisor candidates. The candidates were required to present a seminar and I was lucky enough to be included as an audience member during the presentations. I found this to be one of my favorite parts of the rotation because it was such a unique experience. As a future RD, it was great for me to see the search process this program goes through to find a new advisor. I learned a lot about hiring someone for the research field, and I gained a lot of tips about presenting for a job interview, which is something I am sure I will find myself doing in the future.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience at UC CalFresh. The team, my preceptor, and the students were all amazing. This is such a unique experience for dietetic interns, and it provided me with the opportunity to break out of my shell and practice my teaching skills, as well as witness NFCS Advisor seminars. After these short weeks I am definitely more comfortable around students and teaching. I am so happy to have had this experience!