Rhonda Smythe ‘08, Nutrition and Dietetics

“I’m thankful to OSU for all the people, resources, and experiences it provided and look forward to continually making a difference in the world!”

My career goal is to write food policy and create positive change in the health of our country. I started this road at Portland Community College and continued on to OSU, graduating in 2008 with a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics. I was fortunate enough to work in the Health and Human Sciences Advising Office as a Student Ambassador, and also worked under Dr. Mary Cluskey as an assistant. These jobs allowed me to build and hone many professional and personal skills, and I sincerely thank all the people involved! OSU was such a great experience and truly helped me go to the next level.

After living in Oregon my entire life, I wanted to see firsthand how the rest of the country eats and how their relationships and behaviors with food are different. This led me to the midwest, where I graduated from Saint Louis University’s dietetic internship in May 2009, and will sit for the Registered Dietitian board exam in November. Food is definitely different here!

Saint Louis University accepted me as a Graduate Assistant to work on their Healthy Eating with Local Produce grant, which is the first program in the nation to process foods from local farmers for use in school meals. Processing the food and then freezing it enables the school district to provide its students with healthy local foods year-round, instead of just at harvest season. Not only does this increase the nutritional health of the kids, but also supports local agriculture and creates new opportunities for school foodservice. We currently have 1600 lbs of tomatoes in the refrigerator ready to be turned into marinara!

It’s hard work, but very satisfying. The grant also  involves nutrition education and school gardens to help kids understand where food comes from, why it matters how its grown, and how food affects their health and well-being.

I am enrolled in a dual degree program at Saint Louis University that will result in a Master of Science in Nutrition and a Master of Public Health. After this, my hope is to go to Washington DC and keep on pursuing nutrition policy. To help accomplish this goal, I’m currently working on creating legislation for a Farm to Cafeteria program in Missouri with a great coalition of people.

There are opportunities available to expand your skill set and help you create the life you want everywhere you go. I’m thankful to OSU for all people, resources, and experiences it provided and look forward to continually making a difference in the world!”