MPH, Registration Eligible, MeaLenea is a dedicated dietetics and nutrition professional based in Petersburg, Virginia. With a background in family and consumer sciences and public health, she believes that all foods can be included in a healthy diet and lifestyle. In her spare time, MeaLenea loves developing new recipes and delving into food science research.
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The path to success is not linear. Detours and bumps in the road can make us feel like accomplishing goals are outside of our reach. My journey to becoming registration eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam was nothing short of either. However, as I have proven to myself time and time again, I can do anything I set my mind to because I always strive for more. That includes striving to be the ultimate nutrition expert, a registered dietitian.
The Early Years
Some people know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Unfortunately for me, I was not one of those people. When someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would freeze. I didn’t like that question because I really didn’t have an answer.
In the fall of 2014, my senior year of high school, it was time to declare my major for college. I of course didn’t really know what to study. Food and science were subjects that I was interested in, so I decided to research colleges that had majors related to those subjects. I was accepted into my alma mater, Fort Valley State University. In 2019, I earned a bachelor of science in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Foods and Nutrition.
By the time I graduated from undergrad, I was well aware of what I registered dietitian was. However, I was also aware that in order to earn that credential, I was required to complete an unpaid internship for up to a year. Financially, I just couldn’t do that. I needed a job, immediately. That summer I was able to land a few independent contractor jobs, but that income was not sufficient to sustain myself long term. After applying to many full time positions that did and did not require a college degree, I was invited to interview as a dietary aide at my local hospital and I was hired.
Working As a Dietary Aide
When I told my friends about my new role, some would say I was overqualified for the position. Maybe that was true, but at the time, I really needed the money, so I did what I had to do.
Regardless, I genuinely enjoyed my job as a dietary aide and I was really good at it. I became an expert at assembling patient trays while complying with therapeutic diets. I learned all about hospital politics. Daily interactions with my patients helped me nurture my soft skills. I even received recognition for delivering excellent customer service in my department.
Despite my overall positive experience, I always knew I was supposed to do more. Throughout my time as a dietary aide, I was actively applying to other jobs, particularly dietetic technician positions because I really wanted to gain experience in the clinical space. In the midst of my job hunt, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. A lot of things slowed down during that time, including job openings. I still applied in hopes that something would come up
When a position for a clinical dietetic technician at another local hospital was posted, I immediately applied for it. Coincidentally, my manager had some connections at the same hospital and encouraged me to apply for it as well. She even wrote the recommendation letter for me. She was happy to help me out, but sad to see me go. Needless to say, I got the job and I was ecstatic.
Working As a Clinical Dietetic Technician
When I started my job as a clinical dietetic technician, it was not as easy of a transition as I thought it would be. I struggled with imposter syndrome. I had to get used to working independently when I was used to working with a team. My decisions in direct patient care had a greater impact than my last position. I almost quit because it was just so overwhelming. However, I decided to give myself one year to gauge how I felt afterwards.
After strengthening my clinical skills for a year, I became a lot more comfortable. I enjoyed developing my critical thinking and technical skills. With the help of my coworker and mentor, I was able to help put in place medical nutrition therapy initiatives to improve patient care. I even authored a peer reviewed article. However, as a dietetic technician, I realized that I could only do so much to help my patients. So, yet again, I decided to strive more by beginning the process to become a registered dietitian.
Becoming a Dietitian
Because my undergraduate program was not ACEND accredited, I knew I needed to obtain a master’s degree so I could sit for the CDR exam. I applied to just one graduate school program. It was the only one I found that allowed me to work full time and go to school part time to save up money for my internship.
I was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gilling’s School of Global Public Health. There, I earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics and fulfilled all of by internship requirements at the end of 2024. I plan to take the CDR exam at the beginning of 2025.
My path to becoming a dietitian has not been straightforward. At one point in my life, I didn’t even know what a dietitian was. Once I found out and was informed about the internship, I didn’t think it was in my life plan. However, when I look back on how I ended up where I am today, I feel like this is always where I was supposed to be.
The journey is still not over. As mentioned earlier, I’m currently studying for my exam. I am navigating motherhood with an eleven-month-old while also being a supportive military spouse. It’s not easy, but I know that I can do hard things. Just like a winding road leads to new destination, perseverance through challenges paves the way to success.