Personal Statement
I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I made a decision that would impact me for the rest of my life. Starting at 125 pounds, I needed to cut down to 105 pounds in order to fill a spot on the varsity wrestling team. Two weeks and 20 lbs. later, I weighed in at 104.6 lbs. From what I can remember, I ate one fruit cup per day and approximately 8 ounces of water. At the time, that was all I knew to lose the weight. I had the “just get it done, find a way” mentality. Although, I had accomplished what I set forth to do, my performance was far from optimal. Expressing his concerns, my coach pulled me aside after practice one day and educated me about meals/day, breakfast, calories, metabolism, and everything he knew on proper nutrition. The fire had been lit; this would be the start of my passion. If I wasn't working on homework, I was researching and educating myself about everything nutrition. I spent hours in the grocery store reading and comparing nutrition labels, trying to decide what could help my performance and keep my weight down at the same time. I was hungry; hungry for food, hungry for success, and hungry for knowledge. That flame is still lit and burning strong. My background and upbringing has caused me to be a very passionate and motivated individual. I know I am in the right place, and I am excited for the possibilities of my future.
My background and upbringing have really defined the man I am today. With my father and grandfather being racehorse jockeys, eating right and proper nutrition was common in the household. They were far from experts on the subject, but made it a point to share the knowledge they did they know with me. These men are a few of most influential people in my life. I can recall numerous lectures and lessons about life. At the time, I know I didn’t seem interested and I am sure they didn't think I was listening, but I heard. I heard it all. I was facing some obstacles in life one time and Grandpa said to me “just keep walking up to it.” To me, this was just an old man’s way of saying never quit, don't ever back down, and ALWAYS keep moving forward with the everything I have in that one step.. The meaning of this simple quote, “Keep walking up to it,” is how I approach everything that crosses my face. I may not win, I may not succeed, but I can promise I will always step forward. Speaking of steps, my younger brother Cale and my older brother Cody take on the disease muscular dystrophy everydayof their life. Although it wasn’t their choice, they face each day with a step that was cut a little shorter than most peoples’. But they keep stepping, day after day, without a complaint or an excuse. In my eyes, it’s heroic. Thus, the reason I talk about them. For what their step has been shorted, I make sure to add to my step. I step for three every day. They have shown me to not let things out of my control slow me down and in every situation, do the best with what I’ve been given. It’s easy to see how I can be a very motivated individual.
At 4 A.M. the alarm clock goes off, starting my day. At 4:30 I enter the weight room for my strength and conditioning internship until my first class at 9. After my last class at 1:15, I head to North Colorado Medical Center and shadow clinical RD’s until 4. From 4:20-7 I coach wrestling practice at Heath Middle School. Arriving home around 7:30, I make dinner, shower and finally sit down to my schoolwork. This is a typical Monday for me this spring 2013 semester and is very similar to any day of the week of every semester since I started college in 2008. Personally, I don’t like to focus on strengths, but the following are some that I believe I have. Strong work ethic, discipline, and drive naturally surface in my personality from the motivation mentioned earlier. My numerous work and volunteer experiences have provided skills to help me succeed in a wide spectrum of situations and environments. I am very appreciative of constructive criticism, because it helps reveal weaknesses. It is vital to improve weaknesses in order to improve as an individual. I consider myself well-rounded. I have a little experience in a lot of different areas. However, this can be a weakness. Entering college, I knew I wanted nutrition to be my main focus, but I chose exercise science to supplement it. Although the decision has made me a better-rounded individual, I’m a weaker dietetic applicant. As I’ve been wrapping up my SES degree and completing my certifications, my focus has been shifted to dietetics and is the primary task in my eyes. For this reason, the Dietetic Internship is extremely appealing to me. I am confident all experiences and knowledge gained will prepare me to be a successful Registered Dietitian. From what I lack in experience and knowledge going into an internship, my strengths will accelerate me to the expectations of the internship.
As of now my plan A is acceptance into a Dietetic Internship to become a Registered Dietitian. In May 2013, I take an exam to be Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) at the collegiate and professional level and then graduate with two bachelor degrees (Sports and Exercise Science and Dietetics) the next day. I hope to start a Dietetic Internship soon after that will prepare me to pass the RD exam. As of now, I want to train military Special Forces, athletics, and/or work with jockeys once I’m an RD. Those are just my background and my interests. I want to experience everything the internship has to offer and will approach each day with an open mind. I have full faith this is my path and can’t wait to keep walking through this journey.
