Nutrition Student of the Month - Sunshine Hildebrandt - Undergraduate - Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions

Where are you from?
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
What do you like to do outside of school? What are you passionate about in life? - tell us about yourself!
I really enjoy a wide variety of things 😀 My house is full of current DIY projects. I love to garden and watch as things grow and change. I love to cook and eat delicious (and mostly nutritious) food 😊. I really enjoy traveling, exploring the city, and spending time with my family - or just curling up with a great book or video game on a rainy day.
Why did you choose to study nutrition? Was there a specific person, experience, or event that sparked your interest?
In my previous career, I worked for the largest fitness company in Canada in a highly analytical, numbers-oriented, management position. It was sucking my soul dry. However, it enabled me to work closely with groups of people for whom nutritious meal planning was a big deal – and I got into it, big time and found that it was really something I was interested it. So, when a major set of life changes occurred, I decided to dive in and change my career to nutrition!
What made you choose the B.S. in Nutrition program at GSU?
Being Canadian, I naturally looked for programs in Canada first, but the only ones that looked good were on the east and west coasts – the east coast was much colder than where I lived, and the west coast, while beautiful – was really far from my family. My best friend lived in Atlanta, so I decided to take a road trip and explored several campuses. What sold me on GSU specifically was the focus on internationality, and the campus itself. As a 40-year-old, many of the traditional campuses are isolated and I felt (and was treated) more like a parent or professor than a fellow student. Here at GSU, I feel that I belong and have a natural place here.
What is your favorite thing about GSU’s nutrition program?
I enjoy what I’m learning immensely, but I’m sure I’d feel that way at any school. What I like about GSU’s program specifically is the program faculty. This group works well together, and we get to see that. We see it in the way they behave with each other, and the way that they behave towards us, as their students. They genuinely want to see us succeed.
Are you involved in any nutrition-related experiences (research, other projects), or volunteering, outreach, or student organizations? If so, please tell us a bit about them.
I am so excited about next year! I’ve applied to be part of the Nutrition Student Network group of officers and can’t wait to see if I’m accepted. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can increase Nutrition Student engagement together in 2023-2024.
I have also had the opportunity to work directly with Jessica Todd for the better part of the past year, which has been a great experience! She is an incredibly hard-working, dedicated professor and I’ve been honored that she has trusted me to help her with her business, Perfectly Portioned Nutrition. I have learned so much about the food industry from her and I have no doubt that I will be able to use what she and her team have taught me in my future career.
Where do you see yourself after graduating with your B.S. in Nutrition? Are you planning to go to graduate school?
What type of career would you like to have?
Post-graduation I will definitely be applying for the Coordinated Master’s program in Nutrition here at GSU. I would love to be able to use this degree to help create and improve better nutritional sustainability here in Atlanta.
If you could give advice to someone considering studying nutrition, what would you tell them?
Go for it! Understand that it IS a science degree, so strengths in chemistry and biology will be very helpful for you. It is a great program with a lot of fascinating information to learn – so if you have a passion for it, do it. You won’t regret it even if you end up choosing a different path. Nutrition is a life skill that will help you no matter what you do.

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