Academy Foundation Blog

Eun-Jeong Scott - 2022 Commission on Dietetic Registration Diversity Scholarship

By Foundation Admin posted 03-31-2023 09:28 AM

  
Thomas Moses

Eun-Jeong Scott, NDTR

2022 Commission on Dietetic Registration Diversity Scholarship

Completing a Dietetic Internship at Utah State University

“I am so thankful for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. The Diversity Scholarship will allow me to focus on my academic success and professional development during my internship. Its benefits will ease some of the financial burden of my family members, who are supporting my journey to become a registered dietitian. The Foundation’s generosity will ensure that I will reach my full potential and serve the public as an accomplished dietetic professional.”

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

I am a dietetic intern at Utah State University. I learned about the availability of the scholarship from the Clinical Assistant Professor, Nikki Kendrick, and the Program Director, Lacie Peterson.

What motivated you to apply for a Foundation Scholarship?

I am a student who is passionate about health and nutrition and chose to become a registered dietitian. I feel honored to be part of this wonderful field of dietetics. I am also a mother of five children. Motherhood is a noble calling. It requires sacrifice, patience, persistence, and most importantly love and humility. Caring for my children’s well-being was one of many reasons why I chose this professional path. I am thankful for my families who support me in so many ways since I went back to school to earn my degree in dietetics. The decision to achieve my RD credential was difficult to make after graduation because of paying for the unpaid internship. Money is not the only thing that can provide a positive environment to raise my children, but I could not underestimate the importance of a financially stable home for them. That’s why I applied for the Foundation’s Diversity Scholarship. I understood that receiving the scholarship would motivate me to become a better intern who can focus on gaining knowledge and skills without distractions due to financial hardship for my family.

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

After I decided to become a dietitian, I started taking prerequisite courses. I just had my youngest child and could not work and bring any income for my family at that time. After a few years, I was accepted into the dietetic program. This was the time when I started working again. It took about 7 years to earn my degree while working a full-time job as a school care manager and raising 5 children. I passed the NDTR exam and earned my credentials with the goal of becoming a registered dietitian. The financial burden of an unpaid internship was not something I could take lightly, but I pursued a RD credential by applying for the dietetic internship with hope and faith. It has been challenging to support my family without my income while I’ve been attending school. My family is so thankful for the Foundation’s scholarship, which will help me continue my journey to become an RD and provide financial resources for them. The scholarship will help me focus on my rotations, increase my confidence, and empower me to do my best by providing a firm foundation of financial resources.

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

The most important piece of advice is to become a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The benefits of becoming a member are countless. I joined the organization while I started my DPD program in Pennsylvania. Because of my husband’s military assignments, our family moves often. During the course of my journey in the DPD program, our family has moved two more times. Regardless of my location though, I was able to join the local dietetic associations of all three states and met great dietetic professionals. Career resources and education opportunities provided by the Academy are the benefits that I appreciate the most as a member. I also enjoyed meeting new people and learned from their professional experiences when attending the regular meetings. It was my first time to apply for a scholarship from the Academy. I want my colleagues to consider joining the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, receiving wonderful benefits, and to share their unique talents and skills with others. I certainly recommend applying for the Foundation’s scholarships to enhance their academic success and ultimately professional success.

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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