I may not be your typical food and nutrition student. I began my studies at Lewis Clark State College with hope of receiving my degree as a Registered Nurse. Two years into my college career, I realized that goal--while achievable--was not what I wanted out of my education. The way I like to describe it is that I wanted to be on the proactive side of medicine, rather than the reactive. In other words, I came to the realization that I wanted to support individuals reach goals on their journey to living a healthy life rather than treat disease. I decided do to a 180 degree turn on life and essentially change everything about the path I was once on. I moved over 800 miles away from home, started a new job, and took a break from getting my bachelors degree to pursue my certification as a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) through the Nutritional Therapy Association. Once I adapted to online class, and the obstacles that the COVID-19 pandemic had on my learning, I received my certification and continued on with my education through the Starbucks College Achievement Program (SCAP) where I am now about to achieve my goal of having a Bachelors of Science in Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship. Through my journey at ASU, I have been provided with so many opportunities for growth in my nutrition experience, such my current Internship with Healthy LifeStars which has opened my eyes to the importance of providing nutrition education to our youth, but also their parents and guardians to better support the journey to living a healthy life for all. With my degrees, certification, and internship experience under my belt, I hope to one day open up my own holistic practice where I can work one on one with clients and support them in reaching their health goals. My journey to get where I am today was far from typical, and I hope to use that to my advantage as I navigate into my future.Please reach out with any questions or comments at: anrowden@asu.edu
