Not all students graduate from college with flying colors, not all have the opportunity to even finish it. But most, if not all, experienced a struggle in some ways.
One inspiring story is from a graduate from Mount Saint Vincent University. The journey of Andrea Penny to become a registered dietitian took time and perseverance.
She decided to pursue Health Promotion at Dalhousie University. But Andrea discovered an interest in nutrition so began taking university chemistry courses at night on top of her full-time studies with a plan to apply for the Bachelor of Science in Applied Human Nutrition (AHN) program at MSVU.
Despite her love with the program, she had a mental health disorder that made her study difficult which affected her grades and her chances of gaining a highly competitive dietetic internship required to become a Registered Dietitian.
Despite her work & volunteer experiences plus references from other dietitians, she didn’t get a placement in the highly competitive internship program, putting a pause of her dream of becoming a registered dietitian.
She balances her study and work during her undergrad. Andrea began working at the IWK as a Food Service Supervisor in 2007. The IWK is the largest pediatric hospital east of Montreal and a leader in providing specialized and primary care for women, children, youth and families in Atlantic Canada. She continued working at IWK as a Food Retail Service Supervisor.
Eventually, her supervisor’s position was available. In order to be the new Manager of Business Development of the Food Services, she needed to complete her Master’s in Applied Human Nutrition and become a registered dietitian.
Fast forward, pandemic came. Her pursuit of getting her Master’s again took a turn as she would have to take a leave of absence to focus on helping the IWK navigate each pandemic wave.
How do you think Andrea’s story turned out? Read more here https://www.msvu.ca/msvu-graduate-proves-you-should-never-give-up-on-a-dream/
Reference and photo credits to: https://www.msvu.ca/
