Chelsea Wickson, R.D.

Passing the registered dietitian exam. It was really hard. It was my first defining moment where I had to decide if becoming a dietitian was worth it. It was. 

I have an edge with technology. Being from a younger generation I’ve had more exposure to it. 

My dad told me to be careful when you’re choosing a career to make sure you pick something you absolutely love to do because you have to wake up every morning to it. I’ve done that. I love my career.

Realizing that it’s OK that I don’t know everything about my field or how exactly I should handle every situation that comes up. I’m constantly learning. 

Last week I got a thank-you note from a high school student who had interviewed me for a project on childhood obesity. Seeing that I had reached a student and helped educate her about nutrition was pretty amazing.

I would like to get more involved in the political aspect of the school lunch program. The policy that government officials come up with affect our everyday lives, and I think a lot of times they don’t take into consideration our actual needs and limitations.  

One of my first days I was cooking some samples for the directors and I burned some taco meat. I didn’t just burn it; I disintegrated it. It was not edible. The whole kitchen smelled like burnt rubber. It was so embarrassing that I had to laugh at it. 

All through high school and college I dreaded growing up and starting a career because I thought the fun would be over. That’s not true at all. I’ve got a career I really enjoy and I have lots of fun every day.