Hitting the jackpot can be interpreted as achieving an aspiration and/or making a lot of money. For me, hitting the jackpot would mean having a career that I enjoy and that inspires me, but also allows me to make a good living, so I can be financially set as well. Loving what you do is very important; it is true that if you love what you do for a living, you feel like you never worked a day in your life. With all that said, money is a necessity for life, so to have a profession that is rewarding and also pays great, that is like hitting the jackpot!

          Out of all my teachers, the one who left the biggest impression on me had to be my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Williams. He is memorable not because he was such a great teacher, I remember him well because I hated his class! He was an intelligent person; however, he wasn’t very nice. Just because someone is intelligent, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will make a wonderful teacher. It seemed like Mr. Williams loved to embarrass students. When we went over our math homework, he always called on students to solve the problems on the board. He never responded to hands raised because he decided to call on students that had the most difficulty with the subject matter. Back then I had trouble with long division and went for extra help. Every time we started going over the math problems, he always called on me to answer the first problem. It was embarrassing for me because I wasn’t completely confident in my ability. I was very angry that my teacher kept on calling on me because he made me feel like his main goal was to embarrass me and reveal that I didn’t know the answer. Due to this happening every day, I stopped going to extra help because I couldn’t stand being around that teacher. So to make a long story short, I decided to skip extra help for the rest of the school year, however, one of my smart classmates tutored me and I did much better on tests and homework. The rest of the school year I remember thinking that I wished my smart friend could teach the class because she would have done a much better job.

If I had to write a book, I would probably pick to write about the overall benefits of vegetarian diets. I  feel that there are so many books written that describe the positive effects of vegetarian diets only if you exclude meat and animal products completely. Individuals can reap the benefits of a plant-based diet even if they consume meat and animal products from time to time, but incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. Some vegetarian authors write in a way that makes readers feel that if they can’t become a complete vegan, then they shouldn’t even bother changing their eating habits and lifestyle. They explain the harmful effects of meat and how damaging it is to your health, but neglect to explain that even if meat consumption is reduced an individual can possibly bypass a lot of the health issues associated with meat/animal products. Some vegetarian books that I have read left me with an all or nothing mentality. It really doesn’t have to be like that because there are studies that show that just reducing the consumption of animal products alone  decreases chronic illness risk. I feel that vegetarian diet books would be more successfull if they appealed to more people and were realistic in their approach.

             Passions are great tools for achieving goals. When a person is passionate about a cause or activity, they have the motivation to accomplish what they set out to do. Although passions can change throughout one’s lifetime, it’s how you act on your passion that defines you.  Passions change all through life because as an individual grows and matures, they discover who they are as a person, and develop passions that reflect their identity.

            My passions have evolved over the years. My passions in high school were completely different from my current passions. In high school, especially as a freshman, I didn’t have sophisticated passions for my future. I was interested in playing softball for my school’s team and enjoyed sports in general. If someone would have asked me what my passions were, I probably would have said playing softball and watching baseball.  However, after my high school graduation, my passion for sports wasn’t as strong as it was previously. I feel like this change occurred due to my priorities changing following graduation. I was focused on going to college and studying dietetics and I didn’t have time to play sports for fun or watch them often on TV. However, during this time, my passion for dietetics grew. I had an increase motivation to do well in school so I can start a career in a field that I am passionate about. Passion is essential for accomplishing tasks in life; it also is the characteristic that sets you apart from other individuals.

         Choosing a career path is a challenging task. There are so many factors to consider while making this difficult decision.  Of course, everyone would like to do something they love and have a passion for, but in this economy, one must be realistic. We are living through very harsh economic times and in order to survive them, many individuals are choosing careers based on financial gains and future stability.

          Since High School, I knew I wanted to become a dietitian because the relationship between nutrition and chronic disease has always been an interest of mine. My interest was peaked in 10^th grade when my father was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. When this happened, I definitely knew I wanted to study dietetics so I could help him with meal planning using the diabetic exchange list. Even though the salary as a dietitian isn’t great, I am willing to take a pay cut because I have a passion for this field. I would rather work in an area that I enjoy with less income than make large sums of money working in a field that I have no desire to be in.

    When I started SuffolkCommunity College I was pleasantly surprised with their dietetics department because it was extremely organized and I also appreciated the fact that as a freshman student, I was expected to rotate at different healthcare facilities in order to experience the dietetics field hands on. Looking back, I am glad I started my college career at Suffolk because a lot of the clinical and foodservice courses transferred over towards my undergraduate degree and I didn’t have to take a lot of nutrition related classes at the next school I attended. I finished my undergraduate degree at QueensCollege and started my dietetic internship last year and will be finished next month. I can’t wait to end this process because I just want to start my career already.

      When I obtain my RD, I would like to start out working in a healthcare facility. Originally I was thinking about specializing in diabetes and becoming a diabetes educator, but that was short lived because living with my diabetic dad made me realize that counseling people like him for the rest of my life will make me lose my sanity. After a couple years in clinical, I see myself trying to find a job that isn’t as traditional; like working as a dietitian for a cruise line or food company. However, at this point I would work anywhere after I finish my internship and pass the dietetic registration exam because dietitian jobs are limited and not easy to get.