Gabriela Proaño, MS, RDN
Commission on Dietetic Registration Doctoral Scholarship
Completing a Doctoral Program at Florida International University
| “Receiving this scholarship is truly transformative for my educational journey, as it allows me to continue pursuing a doctoral degree while alleviating the financial burden. With this extra support, I can focus on my research and have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the nutrition and dietetics field, particularly in focusing on improving nutrition outcomes of underserved communities. I am incredibly grateful to the Foundation for its support and will continue to strive for excellence in both my educational and professional pursuits.” |
How did you learn about the availability of Foundation scholarships and what motivated you to apply?
As a long-time Academy member, I learned about the Foundation scholarships through email communications (from the Foundation and my university) and social media. Although I was an RDN pursuing a doctoral degree, I was not eligible as my most recent position was as Academy staff. However, after suddenly losing my job at the Academy, although I felt intense loss over losing my position, a positive was that I was now eligible for what I already knew were these incredible opportunities for students. I was finally able to apply and try to gain funding as I tried to navigate the financial strain of being in a PhD program and being a non-traditional student. I knew that if awarded these funds, they would be life changing as I had been having difficulty paying for my educational expenses. I wanted to tell my story and hope that I would be provided support in my journey to be a PhD, RDN. I would encourage anyone who is going through similar struggles to please take advantage of these amazing scholarship opportunities and apply.
Describe the financial impact that this scholarship will have on your educational journey this year.
This past year has been particularly tough for me, as I have been self-funding my doctoral program through my savings and recently lost my job in a very unexpected fashion. With my savings depleted and the costs of my living expenses, tuition, and research project looming over my shoulder, I felt defeated in this journey. It is difficult to express the relief that washed over me as I read the email announcing that I had received the Foundation's 2024 Commission on Dietetic Registration Doctoral Scholarship. These funds will be instrumental in supporting my academic journey. If it had not been for this scholarship, I have no doubt I would have had difficulty completing my doctoral program. I would have had to seek out personal loans, scraping together whatever I could, furthering my already current debt and adding additional strain to my finances. I am extremely thankful to have received this scholarship and am excited to have the opportunity to invest in my future by using these funds to contribute to my educational expenses.
What advice do you have for other students and professionals who are considering applying for Foundation funding?
For anyone considering applying for Foundation funding, I would stress the fact that the Foundation supports a wide variety of students which can be uncommon in other funding opportunities. I truly believe this will help support diversity within our field as many students are non-traditional and need to seek funding outside their university to allow them to successfully complete their program. I would say that during the application process, in addition to being open and honest about your path, your needs, and your hopes, make sure you highlight all your contributions to the field. This can include volunteering, teaching, interning, etc. Sometimes we have more experience than we give ourselves credit for and it is important to acknowledge all the projects you contributed to that have been a part of your nutrition and dietetics journey.
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.
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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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