LONG BEACH - Jenny "Eun" Lee, a graduate student in nutritional science at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), has been awarded $4,000 as the 2011-12 recipient of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Foundation's Commission on Dietetic Registration Diversity Scholarship.As the largest provider of dietetic scholarships, the ADA Foundation awards more than $200,000 in funding every year to deserving students at all levels of study. The number of scholarships varies from year to year, each with a value range of $500 to $10,000 each. "I was thrilled when I found out I had received the scholarship. I was so thankful to the American Dietetic Association for awarding me this scholarship, and to those that wrote recommendation letters on my behalf for the application process," said Lee, a 2004 graduate of Warren High in Downey who expects to finish her CSULB graduate degree in 2013. "I also felt relieved because the scholarship would significantly lighten my financial burden this academic year." In addition to her graduate studies, Lee is concurrently completing a dietetic internship program that is required before she can become a registered dietitian. "The internship is full-time and unpaid, which makes it more difficult to pay for tuition and other expenses. This scholarship came at a crucial time, and it's really going to help me financially as I complete my internship," Lee explained. "After I complete the internship, I will be able to sit for the exam to become a registered dietitian, which is what I've been working hard toward." As a dietetic intern at CSULB, Lee is receiving training in a variety of nutrition areas as she completes rotations in hospitals, community clinics, school districts and research centers. It is a full-time internship that will prepare her to have the skills she needs to begin her career. "So far, I'm loving the internship. I'm really enjoying the practical application of everything I've learned in school over the years," Lee pointed out. "I'm looking forward to completing the wide variety of rotations throughout the internship and being exposed to the different areas of nutrition that I can potentially pursue a career in. Although I'm keeping my options open at this point, I'm hoping that by the end of the internship, I can pinpoint a few areas that I'm particularly passionate about." "Jenny's scholarship from the ADA Foundation is a testament to the foundation's mission to support education and training of outstanding young people. These young people will be our nutrition leaders locally and globally in the next decade," said Gail Frank, professor of nutrition and director of CSULB's Dietetic Internship Program. "With this scholarship, Jenny can complete her dietetic internship experience at CSULB which facilitates service-learning in our local community." Frank noted that Lee has already completed extensive training and service with the Orange County Health Care Agency, the Long Beach Head Start Program and the BioNutrition Research Center at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. In addition, Lee has completed a leadership experience with Frank creating an exhibit for state Sen. Alan Lowenthal's upcoming "Young Women Empowerment Conference" to be held at CSULB Saturday, Oct. 29. This annual conference opens the eyes of Long Beach high school students to the benefits of higher education at CSULB. "Jenny and her peers will present nutrition as a career which can improve their lives and the lives of their family and community," Frank said. The ADA Foundation is the world's largest charitable organization devoted exclusively to nutrition and dietetics. ADAF is the philanthropic arm of the American Dietetic Association with a focus on food and nutrition research, scholarships, awards and the Kids Eat Right educational campaign.

********** Published: October 20, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 27