Cal State Long Beach Graduate Student in Nutritional Sciences Receives 2010 Rathmann Hartford Dietetic Internship Scholarship

Amanda R. Brown, a graduate student in nutritional sciences at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), has been awarded the 2010 Patricia Rathmann Hartford Dietetic Internship Scholarship.

Established in 2007, the dietetic internship scholarship was created with a $10,000 endowment from Rathmann Hartford, who was one of the first alumnae from the campus’ undergraduate nutrition program back in the mid-1960s. This year’s award was worth $400.

“Amanda stands out because she has pursued her education and early professional career quite financially independent of her family,” said Gail Frank, professor of nutrition and director of the nationally accredited Dietetic Internship Program at CSULB. “This is always challenging to our CSULB students and Amanda has continued so she can pursue her ultimate professional goals.”

A full-time student in the dietetic internship program, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a biology minor at Loyola University, Maryland, where she graduated cum laude in 2004. She said the scholarship will help her with the educational costs and related expenses of the dietetic internship.

“The dietetic internship program is a non-paid, two-semester, full-time commitment. Time is very limited to work outside of the internship to generate income. When I found out that I was selected, I was very excited and felt extremely grateful,” Brown recalled. “Most of my rotations are 30-40 miles away from my home, so you can only imagine how much I spend on gas. The scholarship funds will also go toward the cost of registration to the American Dietetic Association and the cost of the registered dietitian exam.”

The 27-year-old graduate student said she has been interested in nutrition since she was a child and has found that learning about how the human body utilizes nutrients from food to influence overall health and well-being is highly intriguing. With her background and interest in nutrition, she decided to become a registered dietitian and wants to dedicate herself to preventing and treating disease by promoting healthy eating habits and recommending dietary modification in society.

Brown is also an athlete. She played field hockey and lacrosse and ran track in high school, and she continued her field hockey career Loyola University. In fact, she is still playing field hockey with the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association and the Huntington Beach Field Hockey Club. She has traveled to several states and national field hockey tournaments the past few years.

“Practicing a healthy lifestyle has always been important to me. So, having an educational background in the field of nutrition will allow me to promote health and wellness,” Brown pointed out. “Being an athlete has made me want to commit my career to helping other athletes with their nutritional health. I am also interested in participating in corporate wellness program. Many adults spend most of their time at work, making it a great place to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors.”

Brown has her own business as a personal trainer and nutrition consultant, working with her clients at their homes, private gyms and down at the beach about five to 10 hours a week. She also worked as a nutrition assistant at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach for two years, taking patient food orders, serving food to patients and assisting clinical dietitians with appropriate patient nutrition care.

With March being National Nutrition Month, Frank thought announcing the award at this time was especially appropriate, and she believes that this spring’s student recipient reflects well on the CSULB nutrition program.

“As a fitness and sports professional already, Amanda blends this skill with her knowledge in nutrition to benefit clients,” Frank noted. “Amanda is highly organized and encourages her peers to assist in many community activities. This past fall she coordinated a dietetic internship booth for Senator (Alan) Lowenthal's Empowerment conference for local high school girls at CSULB. Additionally, she was elected president of the dietetic internship class for fall 2009."

-- Rick Gloady