Aramark Dietetic Internship

Intern Spotlight 🤩🤩🤩

My name is Paige Whitfield, and I am currently working towards finishing my master's degree with the anticipated graduation date of December 2024. I worked for 8 months as a nutrition care coordinator where I got a lot of experience with the management of diets and food service. I educated staff about mechanically altered diets and why they are important. I worked in the kitchen with the cooks with the texture of foods, especially with purees and making them look like real food. I ran audits on food tray line service, temperature longs, and accuracy of meal tickets. I am now a nutrition care coordinator, and I check and assess weights for all the residents in the skilled part of the facility. I oversee dining rooms to make sure everyone gets the correct diets and are satisfied with the meals. I obtain information to complete nutrition risk assessments. I also participate in wound care with the wound doctor and nurse supervisor.

We are so excited to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Paige!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Raluca Wolcott, and I currently live in New Orleans, LA. I was born and raised in the beautiful town of Sighisoara/Transylvania, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Romania. At the age of 19, I moved to Italy where I lived for 9 years. I speak four languages fluently. Last summer, I completed my DPD and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition at the University of Alabama where I am presently enrolled in the online Master of Science in Human Nutrition, clinical concentration.

I hold a bachelor's in political science with a minor in paralegal studies and for the past 19 years, I have been working as a paralegal at a small bilingual law firm. I am a marathon runner and this deep love and passion for sports and nutrition have finally brought me to pursue my dream of becoming a registered dietitian. I am confident that my personal studies along with the working experience I will be gaining as a dietetic intern at Aramark will allow me to help others improve their quality of life!

We are happy to have you in the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Raluca!

Lauren Estrada (recently graduated Aramark Healthcare+ Dietetic Intern 2023-24) and Donna Michael, Dietetic Internship Manager, had an amazing time at the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics EXPO last month. They were able to connect with past, upcoming, and potential interns, DPD Directors, and University professors. Incoming intern, Demetrices Robinson, stopped by for a visit too! Definitely well worth the trip to Grapevine, Texas 🍎

Congratulations to Jose Alvaraz—Aramark Healthcare+ Food Service Manager at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center- Centennial in Frisco, Texas, who was honored as 2024 Preceptor of the Year by the Aramark Dietetic Internship Program for the way he “coached, led, and mentored our Aramark interns.”

Jose was nominated by Katelyn Granvold and Ayah Alzoubi!

Congrats, Jose!!

Congratulations, Aramark Dietetic Internship Graduates - Class of 2023-24!

Last week, after eight months of hard work, studying and practical experience, 17 interns from Aramark Healthcare+ have reached their goal and entered the world of dietetics!

Healthcare+ held a virtual ceremony on April 12 to celebrate the graduates of our Dietetic Internship Program for 2023/2024. HC+ President & CEO Bart Kaericher, shared some inspirational words to the outgoing class: “Congratulations on this significant achievement,” said Bart. “Your commitment and the long hours you've invested in our program are truly commendable. As you step forward, remember that the knowledge and memories gained will always be a cherished part of your career. Well done!”

It's Graduation Week for our 2023-2024 dietetic interns!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Bailey Brockelbank, and I am a third-generation alumnus of the University of Alabama where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition. I am pleased to be continuing my education in the master’s program in Human Nutrition. During my time at the University of Alabama, I interned with Fueled by Bama, the sports nutrition program, and worked closely with the sports dietitians and the football team. I was also given the opportunity to precept at a cardiac rehabilitation and diabetes education facility. I gained experience and practice in educating patients in cardiac, pulmonary, and diabetic diets, as well as creating nutrition programs for the patients. I was given the opportunity to be a child nutrition program intern where I worked closely alongside a CNP manager at a Tuscaloosa County elementary school to plan, prepare, manage, and serve school meals to those students. Food allergies, gastrointestinal disorders/diseases, women’s health, sports nutrition, and holistic wellness are interests of mine. I am also interested in working with homeless and immigrant populations to help with food security. Ultimately, my career goal is to open a private practice, specializing in a couple of these areas.

We have been so proud to have you as part of our program, Bailey!

This week, we send all these wonderful interns featured over the past 8 months into the world of dietetics 🍎🥦🍋

Intern Spotlight🌟🌟🌟

My name is Carla Samaniego, and I graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics. I have experience working at WIC and I have applied what I learned in Nutrition in the Lifecycle while working with women, infants, and children. I have learned so much about infant nutrition, formula, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. I hope to apply everything I have learned while working with women and children during the dietetic internship! My dream is to become a Registered Dietitian!

And that dream will be accomplished soon! So proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Carla!

Intern Spotlight 🌟🌟🌟

My name is Mallory Lowrie, and I am originally from a small town in Southeast Texas. I graduated from Texas Tech University in December 2022 with my bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics. Throughout my undergrad years at Texas Tech, I worked as a food service attendant at Grace Surgical Hospital. This experience really expanded my knowledge regarding the food service industry and taught me several things that have been useful while completing my internship. While working at the hospital, I had the privilege of training several new hires.

During undergrad, I was involved with the Student Dietetic Association and served as president my senior year. After completing my internship, I am interested in starting as a clinical dietitian in a hospital. Eventually, I would like to transition into the community and work with low-income families.

We are so proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Mallory!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Katelyn Granvold, and I am from Allen, Texas. I graduated in spring of 2023 from Texas Tech with my Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics. While at Texas Tech, I was involved in the Student Dietetic Association (SDA) where I attended meetings that featured guest speakers who were registered dietitians and provided opportunities to participate in community service events. Although I am not yet certain about a specialty, I am very interested in both clinical and food service career paths. I hope to learn more about both fields through the duration of my internship! I have worked for Walgreens since 2018 and have been working as a pharmacy technician for the company for the past 2 years. I started my online master's degree this past summer in Nutrition and Dietetics through Texas Tech.

We are proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Katelyn!

Happy RDN Day! 🍎🍊🥦🍅🥑🍇

Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day to all the RDNs out there! 😁👏🎉

As the nation's food and nutrition experts, registered dietitian nutritionists are committed to improving the health of their patients, clients and communities. Today and every day, we recognize and thank RDNs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives!

Learn more about : sm.eatright.org/RDNday

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Caitlin Iannini, and I am an intern at the Virginia location of Aramark’s DI Program. I am originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Virginia last Summer. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in May of 2022, and I finished my master’s program focusing on Community Nutrition, also through WCU. I previously graduated with an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Penn State University in 2019. I have an interest in sports nutrition and would love to combine my experience from my multiple degrees in my future career.

I have worked in restaurants for over 8 years and have a lot of food service experience through the various jobs I’ve held in this field. Through one of my restaurant jobs, I connected with a chef who taught me various cooking skills and helped to expand my knowledge of food preparation. In my spare time, I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and have used some of the knowledge in food preparation that I learned to expand on my cooking skills. Ideally, my future career would involve cooking in some aspect. I am looking forward to expanding my
knowledge of the nutrition field overall and figuring out my career path in the process.

We are so proud of you, Caitlin! Caitlin finished her supervised practice this week. Congratulations, Caitlin!

Intern Spotlight 🌟🌟🌟

Marissa earned a bachelor’s in nutrition and foods from Texas State University in 2021. After graduating, she moved to Spring Lake, North Carolina, where she earned a master’s in nutrition science from Meredith College in 2023. Her career interests include working as a Clinical Dietitian and growing her skills in the nutrition care process to effectively manage and deliver nutrition therapy to treat patients with various conditions. Additionally, she desires to specialize in diabetes care and earn a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) credential as a dietitian. Marissa’s professional background includes working as a Diet Technician for Aramark at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where she regularly oversaw the patient tray line and assisted with patient services, provided nutrition education to inpatients, and performed managerial office organizational tasks.

She was accepted to Aramark's Dietetic Internship in the Spring of 2023 and was awarded Prior Learning Experience in Food Service Management for the work she did as a Diet Technician. The Prior Learning Experience offered by Aramark reduced her Food Service Management rotation hours allowing her to complete her internship faster. Marissa was able to successfully complete the internship last week!

We are so proud of you, Marissa!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is London Mena, I grew up in a small town in Texas. Being a West Texas gal, I ended up at Texas Tech University after receiving my associate degree at South Plains College. In 2016, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Nutritional Sciences. However, during my time there, I started working in a nutrition research lab and fell in love with the nutritional sciences. I then received my master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences in 2018. After several years of working, I realized that research was not my passion, but nutrition still was. Therefore, I went back to Texas Tech again, to finish up some DPD coursework to pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian.

During my time working, I gained valuable experience in the community nutrition field. For the past three years I have worked for the South Plains Food Bank as the Nutrition Coordinator. We worked within 20 different counties to provide free nutrition education to all age groups. It was during this time that I led a small team and learned how to grow into a managerial and leadership position.

Over the course of my education and professional experiences, I have developed a
fondness for specific fields of focus within the nutrition realm. Currently, I love working with people who have Diabetes and getting to educate them on the best approaches to overcoming this disease. However, I also loved all of the enteral and parenteral nutrition that we learned about during our coursework. I very much look forward to exploring these more during my internship and honing my focus a little more.

Proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, London!

Why Choose Aramark for your Dietetic Internship?
#1 Preceptors and sites are selected from within the geographic area you choose from our available locations!
#2 94% of our graduates pass the exam within one year!
#3 We want you to start your career with Aramark after the completion of your education!

The last chance to submit your application for spring match is tomorrow, February 15th! Come be part of our team!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Hannah Schmitz, and I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Foods from the University of Houston. I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nutrition at the University of Houston.

My interest in nutrition began when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2018. I am interested in diabetes care and education, and my goal is to become a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES). It is my mission to utilize my knowledge in nutrition and my personal experience living with a chronic illness to connect with my patients and support them.

We are proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Hannah!

Just a few more days to get your applications in for Preselect to Spring Match!

Remember, there are two ways you can be eligible for the preselect application process:
1. You have completed or will complete a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and are employed or managed by Aramark with plans to enroll in a master's program.
2. You are currently enrolled or have been accepted into the master's program at one of our affiliate universities and are in good academic standing.

Full admission criteria is available on the internship website: https://dieteticinternship.aramark.com

Deadline is January 21st! Message us with any questions! We can't wait to speak with you.

Join us next Tuesday, January 9th for a Virtual Open House to learn how Aramark can become part of your education plan!

JANUARY VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, January 9th
8-9:00 am PST/9-10:00 am MST/10-11:00 am CST/11-12:00 pm EST
Register on our website!

The Virtual Open House is a great opportunity for you to learn important program details, network with directors, and get answers to your questions. Our directors are excited to connect with you and answer any questions you may have about our program. We can't wait to meet you!

Dietetic Internship - Aramark Regardless of what we do or where we work, we are all united in our passion for serving others. It is our heritage and our legacy. And it shines through in our teams and people who think bigger, collaborate seamlessly, and take hospitality one step further.

Intern in Action 🌟🌟🌟

Aramark Dietetic Intern, Lauren Estrada, is shown here after presenting her Clinical Case Project titled, "Nutrition Management: Papillary Thyroid Cancer" at her facility right before the holiday break! You can see the excitement to have this project successfully completed. Proud of you, Lauren!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

Hello, my name is Madeline Noland, but you can call me Maddy. I graduated from Texas Tech University in May 2023 with my Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, and I am currently enrolled in graduate school at Texas Tech online. While living in Lubbock, I worked at Chick-fil-A as a delivery driver and as a student intern at a corporate wellness company called IA Wellness. I got my certification from ServSafe in Food Protection Management in 2021. Upon completion of my dietetic internship, I aspire to find a job in San Francisco, CA.

We are proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Maddy!

Intern Spotlight 🌟🌟🌟

My name is Natalie Murphy. I am from the suburbs of Philadelphia, but currently reside in Colorado. I graduated from West Chester University where I completed my DPD and earned my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in May 2017. I also earned my Master of Science in Community Nutrition from WCU in May 2022. While completing my master's degree, I conducted research as a graduate assistant on sustainable diets for the WCU community. I then moved to Colorado with my husband and began volunteering at a hospital as a MealBuddy. As a MealBuddy, I assisted the patient care team with patient meals. In addition, I provided direct feeding for the patients, assisted with ordering meals, and I kept patients company during meals. This was a wonderful hands-on experience where I learned a lot in regard to patient care, rounding, and record tracking.

I have personal experience as the oldest of 18 grandchildren with pediatric health care and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which has defined a life-long interest in maternal/infant health and pediatrics. I plan to pursue a role as a Pediatric Clinical Dietitian, specifically within the NICU. I am so excited and incredibly grateful to be completing my Dietetic Internship with Aramark. I know my experience will prepare me for my next step in becoming a NICU/Peds Clinical Registered Dietitian.

We are so proud to have you in the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Natalie!

Pictured here is Bailey Brockelbank, Aramark Dietetic Intern, featuring a Persian Chickpea Salad during a taste test for a new vegetarian option in the deli. Just one of the many experiences obtained in her retail rotation! Great job, Bailey, on finding ways to make new foods fun!

Intern Spotlight 🤩🤩🤩

My name is Lauren Estrada. I am from a suburb of Dallas, Texas, and I recently graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics. I have chosen to continue my education through Texas Tech’s master's degree program, and I anticipate graduating in fall 2024. In my undergraduate experience, I have taken on leadership positions such as being a student supervisor in our fitness and wellness department and working as an F45 coach. Along with these positions, I also expanded my experience by working in food service and was an active board member in our student dietetic association. Professionally, I enjoy working with others and doing things hands-on, and I am eager to implement what I learn throughout the internship program.

Proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Lauren!

Our Aramark Dietetic Intern, Natalie Murphy, was honored by the Retail Manager last week for quarterly recognition. Natalie said, "It was really kind and thoughtful, and definitely filled my bucket. I didn’t even know I would be part of it!" Thank you to Boulder Community Health for investing in the Aramark Dietetic Internship!

Intern Spotlight 💡💡💡

My name is Amber Heap, and I graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree from Texas Tech University in Nutrition Sciences.

My hometown is the beautiful Huntington Beach, California. I have known that I wanted to be a dietitian since early high school. Since then, I have had many experiences that gave me professional insight to this career. During my undergraduate degree, I worked with the Campus Dining Dietitian at Aramark to educate students and plan events across ASU. I also volunteered at Banner Health hospital to assist dietetic and culinary teams.

We are happy to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Amber!

Intern Spotlight 🌟🌟🌟

My name is Luke Engbrock and I received two associate degrees from Temple College in general studies and pre-law, a bachelor's degree from Texas State University in nutrition and foods with a dietetics track focus, and my expected graduation date from Texas Tech University to receive my master's degree in nutrition and dietetics is spring of 2024. I have experience in food service, customer service, management, volunteer services, and nutrition education. My professional goals include becoming a clinical dietitian and eventually working towards becoming a director.

We are proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Luke!

Marissa Eoff, dietetic intern, participating in some clinical activities including getting a tour of the hospital helicopter with all the dietitians, sampling new products for texture modified diets, and getting to visit with the therapy dog!

Intern Spotlight 🌟🌟🌟

My name is Ayah Alzoubi, and I live in Texas. I have previously worked as a dietetic clerk/technician, and I am currently working on a vending business to provide more nutritional snacks. I love holistic/natural nutrition along with clinical nutrition. I hope to find my specific clinical passion in the next two years (possibly pediatrics or oncology), and I aim to be a travel RD one day to slowly build assets that can make nutritional differences across the United States.

We are proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, Ayah!

One of our recently graduated dietetic interns, Rina Lam, is pictured here providing samples of dishes prepared for the farmer's market. In her community rotation, she was able to provide nutrition education encouraging the community to eat more locally grown fruits and vegetables and takes classes with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension!

Intern in Action 🌟🌟🌟

Here is what one of our dietetic interns, Katelyn Granvold, had to say about a recent event at her facility, "We had a Feed Your Potential (FYP) event yesterday, and I got to pass out samples. We made a ginger cucumber mint lemonade from scratch as our refreshment. Then for our grab-&-go snack, we made crispy spiced chickpeas. There was a QR code for everyone to scan for the FYP recipe website so they can try some new healthy recipes at home. We also advertised our outpatient diabetes resources and shared that our outpatient dietitian is here two days a week. We highlighted that staff has coverage under their benefits to book an appointment with our outpatient RD. This was my first FYP, and I cannot wait for the next one."

Way to go, Katelyn!

Intern Spotlight🤩🤩🤩

Hello, my name is EJ Cheon, and I currently live in Texas. I got my bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition sciences at Seoul National University in South Korea in 2017. During my undergraduate studies, I was involved in industry and government projects, which led me to continue my academic journey. My DPD university is Purdue University in Indiana, and I completed my doctorate in Nutrition Science at Purdue University. My doctoral work focused on sensory and ingestive behavior research. I pioneered qualities of fat taste (non-esterified fatty acids with different chain-length), individual variability in appetite sensations (hunger, fullness, and thirst), the relationships between appetite sensations and energy intake, eating patterns (eating frequency and portion size), and individual characteristics (BMI, gender, and age). Along with the research, I acquired a college teaching certificate from Purdue University Center for Instructional Excellence and taught multiple undergraduate courses. In addition, I engaged in leadership positions for the Nutrition Science Graduate Student Organization and Ingestive Behavior Research Center Graduate Student Association as social chairs. I have a passion for contributing to public health by correcting common misconceptions in nutrition knowledge and educating on key nutrition knowledge to underprivileged groups.

We are so proud to have you as part of the Aramark Dietetic Internship, EJ!