Meet the 2020-2021 Dietetic Internship Class
Rachel Eldering:
Rachel Eldering was born and raised in Northern Virginia. Her family had always been nutrition and exercise conscious and through high school her personal interest in healthy eating and cooking grew. In her junior year of high school, Rachel became a vegetarian and, within two years, her family did the same. Although she came to Kent State University undecided on a major, nutrition piqued her interest during an introductory nutrition course. Rachel volunteered at a local food bank and became involved with the Student Dietetic Association, ultimately serving as president in her senior year. She loves how food plays such a fundamental role in every person's life and that dietitians can help people use diet change to improve their health and fight disease. She completed her bachelors in nutrition in 2020. Rachel also has a great love for animals, is committed to supporting humane animal treatment and hopes to have an opportunity to volunteer at an animal sanctuary. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, working out, and cooking with her dad.
Hannah Etman:
Hannah was born and grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland. She became interested in dietetics after taking a nutrition class her senior year of high school, where she had a teacher who helped her explore her interests. Afterwards, Hannah knew she wanted to pursue a career focusing on both individuals and communities, helping to improve people’s relationships with food. Because of this, she achieved her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Delaware (UD). During her time there, Hannah broadened her nutrition interests by working and volunteering at a long-term care facility, UD Cooperative Extension, and a bariatric surgery center, among other places. These experiences furthered her passion for working with individuals, and in turn, increased her drive to improve communities overall. Aside from nutrition, Hannah enjoys outdoor sports such as hiking, biking and skiing, as well as playing with her foster kittens and pet hamster. She can also be found exploring nearby cities such as Washington, DC and Baltimore, and traveling to Ocean City to relax on the beach.
Caitlyn Lazorka:
Caitlyn Lazorka was born and raised in the small town of Bedford, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Penn State University in 2020 with a degree in nutritional sciences. Caitlyn’s interest in nutrition began when her high school track coach presented short nutrition lectures to the team. This interest grew to become a career path following her father’s heart attack in 2016. Caitlyn was determined to learn how nutrition could help her father prevent subsequent heart attacks. While at Penn State, Caitlyn also minored in human development and family studies. Because of this minor, she has a special interest in the dietitian’s role in the care of individuals with autism. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, weightlifting, reading, spending time with friends and family, and attending concerts.
Hannah Lundeen:
Hannah Lundeen completed her undergraduate studies at Oregon State University, receiving bachelor’s in nutrition (dietetics option) and public health promotion and behavior, along with a minor in Spanish. Hannah’s passion of nutrition is rooted in the evaluation of how systems of oppression influence access to and choices of food. She combined philosophies from both areas of study in her job working for Food Hero, a SNAP-ED and Oregon State University Extension Service-funded online nutrition education platform. Through creating content for multiple Food Hero accounts, she came to understand the power that social media holds in conveying nutrition-related messages to the general public. She also volunteered for the campus food pantry as well as taught cooking classes to both children and adults. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, watching documentaries, and spending time with her friends and family.
Frances Miller:
Frances Miller spent her childhood in various states across the country but calls Richmond, Virginia home. She graduated from James Madison University (JMU) with a bachelor of science in dietetics with cum laude honors. Fran was first introduced to the field through a neighbor and mentor who is a registered dietitian. Soon after this introduction, she found a passion specifically for sports nutrition and wellness. She was able to gain experience in this field by volunteering as a sports nutrition intern for JMU Athletics and worked at University Recreation as a wellness instructor teaching cooking classes and lectures on wellness topics to her peers. Additionally, while in college she had the opportunity to take a course in American Sign Language (ASL), which had been a lifelong goal for her. She values accessibility for all individuals to resources for adequate nutrition and health care and is continually working towards proficiency in ASL. Some of her other interests include choreographing, as she is the former choreographer for JMU’s co-ed show choir, swimming, running, and hiking with friends.
Linh Nguyen:
Linh, who is from the land-locked state of Pennsylvania, spent her first career in marine ecosystem conservation and management. Over time, cooking tasty, nutritious food to feel and function well became an important part of her life. Linh realized how important nutritious food is for everybody to function well and was dismayed at how often she observed people with diet-related issues. She became interested in health and nutrition science. Linh believes that the greatest asset a person can possess is his or her health and well-being. She jumped into the nutrition and dietetics field by gaining an M.S. in nutrition education at American University, and a B.S. in nutrition and dietetics at the University of the District of Columbia. Linh likes to connect with people through food and nutrition, enjoys nature, exercise, and spending time with friends and family.
Madeleine Reinstein:
Madeleine Reinstein is a native Floridian with an enthusiasm for the ties between food, culture, and wellness. She grew up in Miami, a wonderfully vibrant and diverse city, as the oldest of three children, and learned how to cook from her Hungarian grandmother. Her love for nutrition has remained a theme throughout her education, career, and personal life. Madeleine previously earned a BS in hospitality management and a BA in international relations from Florida International University and the University of Central Florida, respectively. After working as an accounting supervisor for several years she decided to make a career change and pursue her goal of becoming a dietitian. In 2016, she was accepted to the University of Maryland (UMD) and began her path towards a dietetic internship. While at UMD she was able to participate in research projects focused on food sustainability efforts and community nutrition for vulnerable populations. She also gained valuable exposure to clinical dietetics while shadowing a clinical research dietitian at the National Institutes of Health. In her free time, she loves biking, hiking, traveling with her husband, and spending the occasional weekend crocheting on the couch with her two cats.
Jennifer Rivera:
Jennifer Rivera was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in nutritional sciences and dietetics in May 2020. Jennifer chose to study nutritional science because she believes proper nutrition has the potential to not only fuel the body but improve one’s quality of life. She plans to use her knowledge to educate others about preventative care in nutrition and steps that can be taken to form healthy habits. Throughout the school year, Jennifer worked as a nutrition services aide at a rehabilitation center, volunteered as a community nutrition educator at the local senior activity center, and held an officer position in her university’s student dietetic association. She also participated in research that focused on exploring and analyzing the breastfeeding practices among lactating women in South Africa with the goal of implementing nutrition interventions. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys trying out new recipes and restaurants, exercising, reading, and traveling with family and friends.
Kerri Schumacher:
Kerri Schumacher was born and raised in South Jersey. In May 2020, she received her B.S. in nutrition and dietetics from West Chester University in West Chester, PA. Growing up she was athletic, playing various sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and running track. This constant participation with sports and other recreational activities sparked her interest in health and overall wellness at a very young age. It wasn’t until her uncle was diagnosed with tongue cancer that her interest shifted to focus on clinical nutrition and food itself. She was fascinated by the contributions the dietitian made to his care. Kerri wanted to expand her nutrition knowledge as much as she could. During college, she participated as a client care intern for Simplex Health. There she worked alongside a dietitian educating children in nutrition. To gain additional experience, Kerri also volunteered for the local hospital and an ambulance company. These experiences, along with becoming a peer mentor and holding positions in Alpha Phi, a national women’s fraternity, exposed her to many different aspects of the nutrition field. In her free time, she likes to jog outdoors, spend time with her family, and keep up with her favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Skylar Sites:
Skylar Sites is from a small town in South-Central Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State where she obtained her degree in nutritional sciences under the nutrition and dietetics option. Skylar originally became interested in nutrition early in her teenage years while grocery shopping and reading labels with her family. Being from a small, rural town she always had a good understanding of where food came from but did not begin to understand how these same foods were used as fuel in our bodies until taking advanced biology courses in high school. This new connection between the food she had seen growing on farms all her life and how they are used for health inspired Skylar to continue studying nutrition. She has dedicated a large amount of time to bettering the lives of children by working as a youth development leader at her local Boys & Girls Club and serving as a Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) volunteer throughout college. She has thoroughly enjoyed working with children and hopes to continue investing in their lives in the future. Skylar enjoys trying new recipes, running, doing yoga, spending time with friends and family, and participating in outdoor activities like hiking or kayaking.
Myranda Vig:
Myranda was born and raised in Sacramento, California before attending California State University of Sacramento. Her desire to help others achieve optimal health through nutrition led her to graduate with a bachelor of science in food and nutrition with an emphasis in dietetics in May of 2020. Dealing with her own health issues, along with having family members who have suffered from ailments such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, she has a deep-
rooted desire to work in the field of dietetics. Myranda has gained experience in a variety of areas by working in food service, volunteering at her campus’ cardiovascular wellness program and working as a diet technician at a women’s eating disorder facility. In her free time, Myranda enjoys cooking, reading in her hammock, taking walks, and spending time with her friends and family.
Anna Ziegler:
Anna Ziegler was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She graduated from Radford University in 2019 with a B.S. in dietetics and minor in psychology. She pursued the field of dietetics based on her interest in the connection between people, food, and general well-being. Prior to the internship, she worked as a dietary technician at Center for Discovery, a residential treatment center for female adults with eating disorders. Working in this setting allowed her to gain more knowledge around how proper nutrition not only supports physical health in the body, but also mental health. She also taught cooking classes for kids at Tiny Chefs and has held leadership positions in the Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In her free time, Anna enjoys yoga, cycling, experimenting in the kitchen, and spending time with her friends.
