Acacia Puddester, Rd Email & Phone Number

Halifax Regional Municipality, Ns, Ca

Canada

Navigating the new world to become a Dietitian is a challenging and competitive process. I've coached students through it off the side of my desk for several years before deciding to build a business to provide supports Canada-wide. With e-books, online tools, webinars, and memberships, Canadian nutrition students will now have what they've been looking for to maximize their professional development and launch exciting careers.

Since 2021 I have been working at Acadia full time on 9.5month contracts. I've been re-hired each year and have taught a large variety of courses during my time there. My favourite courses to teach are those that better lend themselves to having class discussions and exploring topics that are interesting to me right now including diversifying dietetics, critical analysis of Canada's food system, and creative communication.Courses taught include:➢ Principles of Nutritional Assessment➢ Community Nutrition➢ Nutrition Education➢ Food Commodities I➢ Food Commodities II Lab➢ Food & People➢ Introduction to Food Science➢ Sensory Evaluation of Food➢ Communication in Nutrition andDietetics➢ Management in Dietetics II➢ Management in Dietetics II Lab

I taught a lab where I guided students through cooking experiments and led discussions about their results afterward. We delved into the theory behind each lab topic, using tools like product samples, hands-on experiments, and insights from regulatory bodies.My lab was small in number of attendees so I loved being able to get to know each of them and be more hands-on in my assistance with them. My favourite part of working in the lab was sharing my love of food with others. In our lab focused on fruits everybody in the room tried at least one fruit they hadn't had before and that was really fun to share.

GOED is paving the way by creating a database that houses all of the research on omega-3 worldwide. The first of its kind. It has been such a pleasure to be a part of this innovative project: working with a team of researchers and data analysts to extract data from clinical omega-3 research, and make it more accessible on a consumer-friendly database. Bringing research to life is a passion of mine and I have learned a lot about the impact of omega-3 on various medical conditions through this project. Perhaps even more fulfilling has been observing the team leaders practice so inclusively and create a fabulous team dynamic with a remote global team. I've picked up leadership skills in this role that have improved my performance in others, and in future roles I'm sure.

My goal in this role has been to create conditions where students can build communication skills that will be imperative to their practice as future dietitians or nutrition professionals. Some such skills include speaking and writing in plain language, developing tailored key messages, and interpreting and translating scientific research in creative ways.

With this being my first time working with first year students I especially enjoyed introducing them to the world of nutrition and food. Due to covid-19 this course was taught entirely online where students were encouraged to keep their cameras on and engage in class discussions and activities facilitated by a teaching tool called Nearpod. I was so impressed by the participation levels and received great feedback from students regarding the online facilitation and teaching approaches.

At Nourish Nova Scotia, I started as a Communications Lead and Program Assistant and later became a Program Development Coordinator. I oversaw three province-wide school food programs aimed at nurturing healthy eating habits for future generations.I organized various meetings, workshops, and discussions using inclusive methods to involve stakeholders in making collaborative decisions. I also mentored volunteers and co-op students.My favourite part of my job was getting creative in our marketing tools like redesigning the organization's Annual Report to better demonstrate the organization's success, and creating short videos with food & nutrition information.

I was so excited to step back into the classroom to re-connect with some of my students, develop new relationships, and further develop my teaching skills. I continued to experiment with new teaching and rapport building techniques. Something that I feel worked well was my approach to working more closely as a partner with my students and shaping the course to meet their learning styles more closely. Something that I'll work on moving forward is adapting material to be more conversational and interactive. With this subject, it was more difficult for me, so I look forward to learning how to keep my teaching philosophy thriving no matter the subject area.

Fresh from my Nutrition Communication graduate program, I was back in the classroom disseminating my knowledge! I taught 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate nutrition students an Introduction to Communication course. Re-vamping the course to make it my own, experimenting with various teaching strategies and activities, and engaging with the faculty on department decisions, it was quite the experience! My teaching philosophy is based on active learning approaches - motivating and engaging students to be active participants and pioneers in their education. This semester that involved gamification, case studies, break-out groups, carousel activities, low-stake assessments, art-based projects, and more. The approach was well received by my students and I feel more confident and inspired to get back in front of a classroom as soon as I can!

As a dietetic intern of Ryerson University, I had work experience in various clinical, community, and foodservice dietetic settings. My experience included work at North York General Hospital and Diabetes Education Center as well as with Abbey's Kitchen Inc., Nourish Nova Scotia, and Loblaw Companies. I was fascinated by the diversity of work in dietetics and excited that I've chosen a career that can provide a lifetime of learning opportunities and new experiences. What resonated with me most was the work I practiced in preventative health care and health promotion.

The most enticing part of this position for me was the contact with the students. Though I enjoyed my teaching assistant position in the previous semester, I missed the in-person connection with the students. In this role, I taught the lab every week, which ranged from lecturing on various nutrition topics at different lifestages, to teaching equipment and programming use. I absoloutely loved making connections with the students and helping them in their professional development. This experience re-affirmed my desire to teach in higher education.

It was my pleasure to assist students with their questions pertaining to the use of dietary assessment and interpretion, via email. I later corrected their assignments and provided constructive feedback to help them improve the next time. I learned that correcting work can be challenging but my critical thinking skills, and trusting in my good judgement, helped me get comfortable in the role and reach success.

Wolfville, Nova Scotia

This experience was incredibly fulfilling to me. I stepped out of my comfort zone (nutrition), and began learning about a whole new industry: Nova Scotia's wine industry. I fell in love with the collaboration and sense of community among the wineries, and came to learn that the process of winemaking is a beautiful combination of art and science. I learned about such processes as well as biodynamic practices, and was delighted to tap into my love of teaching by sharing my new-found knowledge with our guests.

Pie R Squared's mission to use food to improve health and their values of holistic approaches, enviornmentalism, and compassion, really resonated with me. It was my pleasure to showcase these values on their website and social media accounts and connect with customers on a more personal level. From this experience, I learned that a strong alignment of your personal mission and values with that of your company, makes all the difference.

I was very excited to have been chosen as one of two students to start Acadia University's first Nutrition Help Center. I collaborated with faculty to organize a tutoring-like approach to assist first year students adjust to university and grasp nutrition concepts. I learned that personal connection with students means a lot to me, and my desire to teach others was sparked by this experience.

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

My first experience working in a hospital was a positive one. I experienced the behind-the-scenes workings of a busy kitchen and learned that collaboration and teamwork are absoloutely vital. My favourite part of the job was delivering food trays to patients, as their excitement in seeing a smiling face enter their room was touching.

Mount Pearl, Nl

The skill I practiced most in this role was multitasking. I managed ~30 staff in a children's recreation center with rock-climbing walls, an aerial ropes course, and bouncy castles. We held up to 14 birthday parties per day and corporate events on the side. I organized the paperwork for them in an office setting during the week, and oversaw them at the main site on the weekends. There was never a dull moment and it was a load of fun!

St. John'S, Nl

My first job was a sales associate at Eclipse Stores Inc. and I owe so much to the experience for building the foundational skillset that still I draw on to this day. I entered the role very timid and uncertain but with the help of an incredible manager and team, I stepped out of my comfort zone and began developing interpersonal and leadership skills. I grew to love conversing with customers and working as a team toward district-set goals, and was promoted to 'emergency key holder' from sales associate.

What started as a hobby in high school quickly grew into a passion and a side-job as I entered into my university years. I had a combination of volunteer and contracted opportunities to photograph community events, engagements, graduation shoots, family portraits, as well as nature's treasures. From day one I challenged myself to not use photo editing software, but to learn how to use the camera and equipment to capture the raw shot I desired. None of my photos have been edited with the exception of those that had been collaged as a sample of work for clients (pictured below). I look forward to re-connecting with this passion of mine and catching myself up to speed again when the time is right.

Master In Health Science, Nutrition Communication

Bsc. In Nutrition (Dietetics Option), Minors: Biology, Chemistry

Activities and Societies: CAFP Communications committee CAFP Education committee

Bsc. Nutrition/Dietetics Part One Of Joint Program With Acadia University