Messiah’s dietetic internship led to job
Kids are picky eaters, especially when it comes to school lunch. But for Sarah Tomasiewicz, it’s all in a day’s work. As a nutrition specialist in the D.C. Everest Area School District in We
ston, Wisconsin, she teaches kids about nutrition.
She uses monthly “menu spotlights” that focus on different types of food, places nutrition fun facts near the serving lines and conducts taste tests with the students. Talking to the kids at lunch, she receives expected responses (“ice cream and brownies!”) and surprising ones (“more fruits and veggies!”).
“Some will tell you everything wrong with our food,” she said, “but it is the kids who say they love everything on our menu who really brighten my day.”
After completing a B.S. in human biology with an emphasis in nutritional science at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Tomasiewicz applied to Messiah College for her dietetic internship. In addition to taking classes, interns work in several areas of dietetics, serving multiple rotations in hospitals, school food service and nonprofits, all of which are requirements for participants to take the national registered dietitian exam.
Tomasiewicz chose Messiah’s program, because it emphasizes the study of food insecurity—a lack of access to and ability to buy healthy foods. That focus proved helpful, since she also helps to run her district’s summer program that provides breakfast and lunch to any child 18 and under.
“Messiah’s program gave us a great taste of many different aspects of dietetics,” she said. “[Dietetic Internship Director] Michelle Sanford ... helped us to narrow down the areas of dietetics we loved, and she helped us through the difficult rotations. Michelle really helped me to feel comfortable being away from all of my friends and family.”
Sanford has high praise for Tomasiewicz in return. “Sarah came into the internship self-directed with a desire to learn and push herself beyond her comfort zone,” said Sanford. “Her passion for enhanced knowledge in the field, diligent work ethic and desire to also study leadership examples of others contributed to success in the program and ability in obtaining a unique job in the industry.”
— Rachel Hungerford ’22