Community Nutrition Assistant, Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion (CNAP) CNAP is a community based program that

promotes healthy and physical activity among low-income families, as well as children in pre-schools and elementary. As an intern, I was able to provide and share nutrition to children by providing them fruit and vegetable tastings. I also assisted in planting and maintaining school gardens at local elementary for the children at the schools to utilize. This experience exposed me to a variety of cultural backgrounds as well as hands on experience with the children population. Foreign Clinical Externship During the summer, I spent a month working at a hospital in Peru. I worked in the nutritional department and gained experience several departments including surgery, medicine, pediatrics, and neonatology. This opportunity gave me a different outlook on nutrition globally. I was exposed to a wide range of diseases and health issues and was provided training on how diets were prescribed. I was also involved with the foodservice and assisted in serving food to patients personally as well. I overcame the Spanish barrier and adapted to the situation quickly by enrolling in Spanish classes 10 hours a week while I was there. Research Externship During my research experience I learned the process involved in building a research foundation. I conducted research along with a few other students to increase my understanding of science literacy. I wanted to have a broader exposure to research in the nutrition field and apply what I had previously learned in the classroom to illdefined questions. The research question that was developed in the end was to determine whether consumers whom shop at farmers markets live an overall healthier lifestyle than supermarket shoppers. Foodservice Externship This semester I was able to work in the kitchen at a memory care living facility. I became familiar with kitchen utilities and how to prepare recipes for the residents. I learned how to purchase and order foods and how to do inventory. I also communicated with the residents and conducted surveys to determine their food preferences. At the end of the externship, my partner and I planned and developed a weeklong menu for the elderly by using the Crandall software and made sure the new menu we created fit their nutritional needs. Nutrition Education Externship I had the opportunity to implement a nutrition education program at an assisted living senior citizen facility. Each week I would plan presentations with a topic created specifically for the elderly population. I also designed placemats pertaining to the nutrition topic of the week and created quizzes to test their knowledge. I created bulletin cards to post on their monthly bulletin as well. This experience was my first experience with the elderly population and is what sparked my interest to further explore gerontology.