SDA promotes community involvement, networking opportunities
February 26, 2020
Contact: Emma Laing  | 706-542-7983  | More about Emma

The University of Georgia Student Dietetic Association is an organization run by students in the department of foods and nutrition majoring in dietetics.

Members benefit from the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers. There is something for every dietetics major. This academic year, the organization is planning an impressive lineup of speakers including community nutrition, sports nutrition, clinical dietitians, and private practice dietitians. SDA will also be partnering with NEGDA to provide a panel of Dietetic Professionals who will speak on “Weighing the Evidence.”

Along with the many incredible speakers, SDA also provides the opportunity to get involved in the community. This year SDA will be volunteering at Campus Kitchen to fight senior hunger in Athens and partnering with the NE GA Foodbank to provide canned goods for those in need. These service projects foster a sense of community among dietetics majors and students considering joining the major.

This year SDA will also host its Second Annual Dietetic Internship Forum. The forum is scheduled for October 30th, 2019. This is a chance for students to network with Dietetic internship Program Directors from all over the southeast region. At this forum, the program directors will have an opportunity to speak about their program and encourage potential interns to apply. The programs that will be in attendance are The University of Georgia, Samford University, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Emory Hospital, Morrison Health Care, Meredith College, Lenoir Rhyne University, Georgia Southern University, and Appalachian State University.

When asked about SDA, Faculty Advisor, Dr. Laing said “I have never interacted with a more passionate group of students dedicated to the dietetics profession than our students in SDA. The SDA leadership team is extraordinary this year, and I know our student members appreciate the variety of speakers and activities that place them at an advantage to succeed in supervised practice programs in nutrition, graduate school, and other career opportunities once they graduate from our program.”

Indeed, former SDA members have expressed appreciation for how helpful the organization was in preparing them for a career in nutrition. “SDA gave me the opportunity to volunteer on campus and in the community, meet various program directors and ultimately understand how I could increase my chances of being accepted intoa a dietetic internship,” FDN alumna Christine Swearingen said.

2019-2020 President, Caroline Henning, is excited to have the opportunity to serve SDA and fulfill the mission of the organization. “My goal for the year is to ensure every dietetics student is aware that SDA exists and that they know how they can become involved. Although I have only been president for two meetings now, I can already tell this is going to be a great year! The team of officers this year is stellar, and I know we will all be working hard to ensure our members are getting the resources they need. I am so excited to help my classmates and peers reach their career goals, and provide them the ability to network with Dietetic Internship programs they are interested in. SDA has been a huge blessing to me and has given me the opportunity to get to know so many of my classmates. I will be loving every minute of leading this organization this year!”

The mission of the SDA is to serve the college, community and each other by involving as many dietetics students as possible to promote a message of health, good nutrition, and exercise. The SDA is committed to reflecting the mission and vision of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which is to empower members to be the nation’s food and nutrition leaders and optimizing the nation’s health through food and nutrition.

Meetings are typically held bi-weekly on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. in Dawson Hall Room 116. Visit the schedule of upcoming meetings at the bottom of the SDA webpage.

The 2019-2020 SDA leadership team includes:

President: Caroline Henning (cvh15253@uga.edu)

Vice President: Bailey Davis (bailey.davis25@uga.edu)

Secretary: Hannah Crawford (hmc81350@uga.edu)

Treasurer: Kinsey Hargis (kinsey.hargis@uga.edu)

Public Relations: Shekiah "Kiah" Shannon (sds72764@uga.edu)

Communications: Sydney Kayler (sak42432@uga.edu)

Service Chair: Rachel Doxey (rachel.doxey@uga.edu)

Social Chair: Madison Spek (Madison.Spek@uga.edu)

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Emma Laing (emonk@uga.edu)

For more information about becoming involved in SDA, contact Caroline Henning at cvh15253@uga.edu.

Categories: Nutrition
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In this category: Nutrition