Why it Pays to Be a Busy Bee in the Field of Nutrition

Today’s post will highlight my wonderful and energetic preceptor, Wendy Minarik. Wendy is a current Nutrition Coordinator and RD for Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. (CAPSLO). CAPSLO is a “nonprofit agency that focuses on helping people and changing lives through serving nearly 40,000 persons across Central and Southern California.” As a nutrition coordinator, Wendy focuses on improving child nutrition programs for over 20 daycares/schools through a program called Head Start. Please understand that my description is very elementary and that Wendy does SO MUCH more than this blog could possibly cover.

During my time as an intern with Wendy we have done site visits to daycares to see if there were any inefficiencies in their food service to the children and to train the teachers and administrators on best practices for handling and educating children with food. I have learned so much about children during my time with Wendy and the knowledge has been invaluable!

Wendy started her nutrition career at Cal Poly and completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Cal Poly! Her masters is in public policy, which has helped her tremendously along her career with the Army Reserves, in clinical settings, and in her current job at a government funded agency. Wendy has held jobs as an inpatient and outpatient clinical dietitian as well as a job as a clinical nutrition manager. The list goes on and on, because this woman is an incredible example of a dietitian committed to our field. Wendy will tell you her current jobs as a Nutrition coordinator for CAPSLO and clinical dietitian for the Army are her favorite.

In addition to all of her amazing job experiences, I wanted to highlight three traits that I love and admire about Wendy.

1. Opportunity Seeker: Wendy sees opportunity and she will never hesitate to go and grab it while it’s hot. I have seen this time and time again as she picks up new projects to work on. As an intern it can be intimidating or really exciting. In my case it has been an amazing experience filled with travel and cool people.

One really cool experience I was allowed to work on was doing a needs assessment for an undersized central kitchen that fed over 7 child-care centers. The kitchen was facing issues with preparing food for children with allergies, while still providing kids without allergies their meals. This experience tested my food service skills and really strengthened skills I had previously developed working as a dining hall manager at a camp that focused on kids with allergies.

2. Great Sense of Humor: Wendy is quirky and she is never afraid to share it. Her confidence in herself allows her sense of humor to shine and I cannot recall any dull moments with Wendy. It’s a great privilege to laugh often with someone you are spending so much time with.

3. Generous: Wendy is generous with her time and chicken eggs. Yes, chicken eggs. On my second day of this rotation Wendy gifted me a dozen of her beautiful chicken eggs that her hens laid. If this is not an ideal dietitian gift, I do not know what is. In addition to the eggs, Wendy has always been receptive to taking time to explain concepts or assignments to me if I was confused. I appreciate this, because Wendy always tries her best to create a positive learning environment.

You rock, Wendy!