“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” ― Socrates
Meet Kelsey Gill, who graduated from StFX in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition with Honours. She is currently working as a dietetic intern at the University, pursuing her RD designation. The past year has been tough as not all of her plans materialized. But with her positive attitude, Kelsey made best use of the opportunities available and even created many new ones for herself. Here is what Kelsey told Stories of Hope about her experiences of the past year.
"I joined StFX in 2016. There were no nutrition programs in New Brunswick from where I come. I was in the nutrition program and I also played field hockey for a few years and then I gave that up and started running marathons. I was president of the Nutrition society last year, which was cut short due to Covid-19.
This past year, Covid-19 has been a major barrier. When I started my placement, I had a lot planned, but not everything could materialize. Sometimes we spent a week planning for an event, but then two days before the event Covid-19 restrictions would change, and we would have to call it off. It was frustrating, but I am sure everyone has been facing the same issues.
I started my food service placement at meal hall last fall. When the University opened, the first two weeks we focused on isolation meals to ensure that food was reaching those students who were in quarantine. After that, I started focusing on the resource centre. There are a lot of options available in the meal hall, but students are not usually aware of them. So, I created food guides for them, including a gluten free guide and a vegan meal guide.
My second internship placement is focused on public health. I have been doing a lot of work with XREC and created many resources, which they are going to put up on their website for students. For example: eating on budget, healthy snacks, and foods to eat before and after a workout.
March being nutrition month, we set up wellness food outside the gym and also during skating nights. We have partnered up with The Hub, and we recently did a Yoga session with them, a self-care relaxation night. It was really fun. We also planned a "Wellness boost" outside the fitness centre and will be offering pre- and post-workout snacks.
Another thing that I am doing at the moment is working on a wellness plan. The theme of this year’s nutrition month is "dietitians help you find your health." Healthy looks different for everyone. And so, the dieticians can help you find what’s healthy for you. Not all people are the same, and neither are their nutritional needs.
As students we have a lot going on. We should not stress over food, accept that all foods can fit into our diets and that we can be healthy in own our individual ways."