Academy Foundation Blog

Maria Cherry - 2022 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation General Scholarship Recipient

By Foundation Admin posted 12-02-2022 08:00 AM

  

Maria Cherry

2022 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation General Scholarship

Completing a Dietetic Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital Dietetic Internship

“With the help of the Foundation’s Scholarship Program, I am able to afford tuition for my dietetic internship, something I worried about daily during the course of my undergraduate degree. It feels amazing to finally have financial support and be able to complete my internship at one of the best hospitals in the country. I hope that all students who are even considering applying to this scholarship take the time to do so, it may help you to follow your dreams just like it did mine.”

How did you learn about the availability of the Foundation scholarship that you received?

I learned about the Foundation scholarship originally on a LinkedIn post. Someone was explaining how they had received the scholarship and it allowed them to complete their internship without taking a loan out. They explained that many students will acknowledge that these scholarships exist, but don’t take the time to fill them out despite having a high likelihood for getting the award. Later that day, I also found the promotional materials for it in my email and filled it out only a few days before the deadline.

What motivated you to apply for a Foundation Scholarship?

I was motivated to apply for the Foundation Scholarship because I knew that any bit of money could really make a difference. I was extremely busy during the time the applications came out, but I still knew that I really needed to do this for my future self so I could feel confidence in my decision to pursue a career that requires me to live another year without a full-time job. I had been saving money over the years, sometimes having 4 jobs at a time, just so that I could even begin to afford to move to Boston or another big city with internships that I wanted. At some point, I knew I just needed to finally ask for financial help or else I wouldn’t be able to even apply to the internships I wanted. Luckily, the Foundation Scholarship application came at the perfect time, and allowed me to have some hope I’d be able to afford my tuition on top of other things (rent, academic materials, transportation, etc.).

How will the scholarship funds help support your continued success within your educational program?

One of the largest ways the scholarship will empower me to do my best is by giving me the confidence to pursue my internship without the financial strain. I am able to dedicate more time to the internship as well as feel support from the Academy in the process. I feel recognized for the hard work I have put myself through to achieve my dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian and that confidence will continue to carry me on to the RD exam!

What advice do you have for your colleagues about seeking out and applying for Foundation funding opportunities?

I think the most important advice I have is to actually read emails and get involved with the Academy early on in your career. In my senior class, the professor asked how many students were already members of the Academy. Only myself and one other student raised our hands. Be involved early on and seek out these opportunities on the website, as there are a lot of different ones you may qualify for.

Scholarship and Award Application and Timeline Information

All applications and timelines for Foundation funding opportunities are made available electronically within the Foundation’s application portal. Generally, the scholarship applications are available from mid- February to mid-April, most award and grant applications are available from December to February, and fellowship opportunities are posted as they become available.

To ensure you receive all of our Foundation news and announcements, including scholarship, award and grant announcements, subscribe to our Foundation’s weekly Kids Eat Right Monday Message and Foundation News.

With Your Help, We Can Do Even More

Our Foundation is the only charitable organization dedicated exclusively to supporting nutrition and dietetics professionals by empowering them to help consumers live healthier lifestyles. Our Foundation does not receive any portion of member dues and is funded solely by donations. Please consider making a gift today to support our Make It a Million Scholarship Campaign that will help us to award one million dollars in scholarships annually to Academy members, students and dietetic interns at all levels of study.

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