Graduates in May
Karen Woodruff is a UNCG senior from Winston-Salem, majoring in Dietetics and looking forward to her graduation in May, 2003. Since leaving high school in 1993, she has hardly paused for breath. She finished an AA degree at Forsyth Tech Community College while working full-time, made a year-and-a-half mission trip for her church, returned to North Carolina where she again worked full-time, married and had a daughter, and then enrolled at UNCG to finish her 4-year degree. "I'm used to a full schedule," Karen says, in an understatement.
She chose UNCG because it is the only school in the area which offers Dietetics, a major she decided upon, almost to her own surprise, after much thought and prayer. "I hated science and I hated hospitals," she admits, "but the more I heard about it, it just seemed right" as a "good choice for women in general, even if they stay at home." Dietetics will prepare her to work at fitness centers and weight-loss clinics and in wellness programs for large corporations, as well as for hospitals.
"I think Dietetics is a great major for adults," Karen observes, noting that at least half of the students in a "Diet Therapy" class she's taking are married or older students. "The people there are mature," she notes. "It's not a major you pick out of the blue. It's harder than some general programs," she says, thinking about the science involved--organic chemistry (which she found easy) and biochemistry (which was more difficult).
Always a Good Student
Fortunately, Karen has always been a good student. "I'm a fast memorizer," she says. By focusing her attention during the time she spends in class and on campus, she is able to get almost all her work done at school. "I attend class, pay attention, take notes, and learn it there," she says. "I have a good eye for knowing what people want and think is important." By picking out the main points in class, she can anticipate likely test questions. "I do have a hard time writing and listening at the same time," she admits. It helps when professors provide notes on a web site before the class meets--then she brings a printout of the day's information to class and make notes in the margins.
Karen needs to be an efficient student. By the time she takes her daughter to her mother's and drives to UNCG, she spends 3 hours in the car every day. Can she get any work done on her long commute? "Not really," she says. "I tried to listen to tapes in the car, but it put me to sleep. It's actually the only time I have to vege out and relax."
She definitely puts her campus time to good use between classes. One feature of her program is a lot of group work, "tons of projects," and case studies to be written up. Much of the information she needs is found in on-line journals, so she spends a lot of time in the computer lab in Stone Building, where the Nutrition department is housed.
Fitting in time to meet with fellow students between classes can be a challenge: "if I have three groups going on, that's three extra meeting times a week," she says. "Sometimes I think I could do better on my own, sometimes it's OK." For one group project this semester, Karen and three others must devise the financial plan for opening a restaurant, factoring in purchasing, costs, depreciation, and profits. They've divided up responsibilities and meet every week to share information.
For her class in "Community Nutrition," Karen has studied the diet of El Salvador to provide information that would enable her classmates to make recommendations to immigrants for a healthy diet within the food patterns of their culture. In that class she has also learned more about a program that serves young children like her daughter, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children). "For every dollar WIC spends toward enhanced nutrition and education, $3.90 can be saved in Medicaid costs," she notes. Another class Karen particularly enjoyed, though not required for her program, was "Infant and Maternal Nutrition."
"Dietetics is a very science oriented program," Karen observes. "I wish we had more food classes. We don't eat chemicals; we eat food." As a Dietetics major, however, she has learned a lot about the relationship between food and health. "Sixty-four percent of the leading causes of death in the United States are related to the diet," she notes, citing cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. She has also become very attuned to the sanitation grade of the restaurants she visits. "I know what goes into that rating," she says. "If it's a low A or below, I'm wary of eating there. I'm more concerned now with food safety."
Feels a Sense of Accomplishment
In addition to practical knowledge, Karen sees intangible rewards to finishing her degree. "I feel like I've accomplished something our church promotes: getting the education you need to make you marketable and to become independent." Furthermore, she takes satisfaction in knowing her knowledge has continued to grow. "I haven't stayed still," she observes. "School won't let me slack off." Her efforts have led to a high GPA at UNCG (3.62) and a scholarship from her department.
Karen counsels other adult students on campus to get involved in clubs within their major departments. As secretary of the Nutrition club for 2001-2, she recalls gaining "lots of useful information that you can't find out anywhere else," like what internships are available, how to put together a resume, and what it takes to get hired after graduation. Club meetings also offer opportunities for networking with people already working in the profession who might be resources in the future.
When Karen finishes her degree, she'll look for a job and take the best-paying one she can find, maybe at a weight-loss clinic where she's comfortable with the approach. She'll be helping her husband Larry take his turn at UNCG. Fluent in Spanish, he plans to major in both Spanish and Psychology, with licensure to teach Spanish in high-school. Karen also has an additional step to take professionally. To get her Registered Dietitian's license, she must complete a 9-month internship which involves class work and several rotations in supervised work settings.
Early summer will be a time for celebrations in the Woodruff household. Karen's daughter MaryBeth will turn three, on the birthday she shares with Karen and Karen's mother. That will come just after another important occasion in Karen's family, her college graduation.
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Page updated: 06-May-2009
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