Dietetic Internship Class of 2023-2024

Dana Alvarez Mendoza graduated in 2023 from UC Davis with a B.S. in Clinical Nutrition. Dana’s interest in dietetics began with learning about her aunt’s work as a clinical dietitian in Mexico. From there, she followed her interest in nutrition at UC Davis and worked in various nutrition and non-nutrition-related positions. Dana worked for 2 years at the ASUCD Coffee House as a student supervisor in the cold kitchen and grab-and-go cohorts, and additionally worked as a student nutrition coordinator at UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services with mentorship and guidance from the dining service dietitian. She was also on the board of the music appreciation club at UC Davis, Side C Album Club, as co-social media/ publicity director, vice president, and president. Outside of academics and work, she enjoys crocheting, going to Zumba and cardio dance classes, trying newcafes and restaurants, and watching reality TV. Dana hopes to explore food service management dietetics and gain clinical experience. In the future,Dana would like to work either as a food service dietitian or in nutrition communications with an emphasis on material development for Spanish speaking populations.

Jeanelle Banks graduated with a B.S. in Physiology in 2009 from SFSU. After graduation, she worked in a medical office as a clinic manager andbilling coordinator. She also has a certification in Pilates and personal training, and in 2015, she opened a fitness studio and worked with local youth sports programs, high school and middle teachers, and the general public. She saw an array of clients, including people with spina bifida, recent joint surgeries, and the general public.

Additionally, Jeanelle began working in client services for a biotech company, where many clients asked her about nutrition advice. Even though sheloved nutrition, she knew she wasn’t qualified to give nutrition advice. In 2020, she realized she wanted to go back to school and become an RD. Jeanelle also became pregnant and her love and interest in the field grew even more. She found it fascinating how a person can can provide nutrition for another life during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Jeanelle sees herself working in pediatrics, sports nutrition and/or community nutrition. She graduated with a B.S. in Dietetics in 2023. When not studying dietetics, Jeanelle loves to spend time outdoors with her 2 year old, cooking, reading, and working out.

Kevin Fizer graduated from UC Davis in 2022 with a B.S. in Clinical Nutrition. After graduating, he received his dietetic technician registered (DTR) certification in hopes to gain experience in the nutrition field. He later began to work at Good Samaritan Hospital as a Diet Clerk. At work,he was able to help patients navigate their food choices based on their diet orders, organized tube feeds/supplements for delivery, and practiced screening patients for nutritional risk for the RDs.

These were some of the skills he developed at work and will continue to utilize as a dietetic intern and registered dietitian. Working as a diet clerk has helped narrow down his area of interest to long-term and out-patient care. He’s had experience helping patients with their diets in the acute rehab and behavioral health units. This is where he developed an interest for patient care. Being able to get to know the patients and helping them to make healthy dietary changes are aspects of the field he enjoys and hopes to pursue. Aside from dietetics, he loves to watch and play all sports, find something around the house to work on, and work out.

Amy Kasameyer completed her DPD coursework at UC Berkeley in spring 2023. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from UC Davis and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and previously worked in the botanical and information management fields before deciding to make her longtime personal interest in nutrition into a career and become a registered dietitian. She is looking forward to getting a range of experience during her internship rotations and is interested in working as a clinical dietitian, particularly with patients with GI issues or diabetes. She is also interested in community nutrition and volunteered at the Berkeley Food Network previously where she helped to address both food waste and food insecurity in her community. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, cooking, and sewing.

Hila Levy Kidron graduated magna cum laude from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel in 2005 with a B.S. in Nutrition. In 2017, shealso completed her Master’s in Nutrition at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For her master’s thesis, she led a prospective follow-up study examining the relationship between body fat mass changes and health outcomes in adolescents with varied eating disorders. Asan RD at a major children’s hospital in

Israel, Hila worked in the ICU, pediatric oncology, GI clinic, and eating disorder departments. In this role, she collaborated with medical care teams, worked with patients and their families, and created treatment protocols. In the last two years of her position, she was a lead dietitian for a team of 15dietitians. Knowing that her work has an impact on patient treatment and recovery gives Hila a deep sense of motivation and fulfillment. After Hila moved to the US, she completed the DPD program at the University of Northern Colorado and now is excited to be an intern again and continue tolearn in a clinical environment. In her spare time, Hila likes to experiment with healthy new recipes and test them on her husband and two children.

Manuel Lopez graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2023, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition, minoring in Chicana/o Studies. Throughout his undergraduate journey, Manuel actively engaged with AmeriCorps, assuming the role of a Food Insecurity Fellow, in which he volunteered his time to several nonprofit organizations dedicated to combating food insecurity in the Sacramento area. Simultaneously, Manuel also worked as a Dietetic Assistant at UC Davis Medical Center, diligently ensuring that patients' dietary

requirements were met. These combined experiences provided Manuel with invaluable knowledge and insights in the domains of community and clinical nutrition, which he eagerly anticipates putting into practice during his rotations. Manuel's aspirations extend to working as a pediatric dietitian post-program completion, with a long-term goal of attaining board certification as a specialist in pediatric critical care nutrition.

Jack Nguyen graduated from San Francisco State University in 2021 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Minor in Health Education. After graduating, Jack worked at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland as a Dietetic Assistant which provided valuable experience in food serviceand patient care. While at UCSF Benioff, Jack worked closely with the dietitians to prepare specialized meals according to patient needs and was responsible for the calculation, safe preparation and delivery of specialized enteral formulas and human donor milk. Prior to his time at SFSU, Jack worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) where he gained over a year’s worth of hands-on clinical experience. Outside of school and work, Jack enjoys playing weekend basketball with the boys, working out, playing video games, and doing experimental cooking.

After the internship, Jack hopes to work in Clinical Nutrition with a particular interest in pediatrics or intensive care.

Jacqueline Poon graduated from San Francisco State University in 2022. After graduating, she took a year off to figure out what she wanted to do for the next chapter of her life. She decided to work in a private all-boys high school as a food service worker and cashier. She discovered she wanted to do more with nutrition during this time and found different graduate programs to broaden her career opportunities. With this degree and internship, she hopes to focus on food service and Asian communities, as she has a minor in Asian American studies. She is also very interested in learning aboutAsian cultures, primarily Chinese and South Korean. In her spare time, she enjoys watching Korean dramas and cooking shows so that she can cook for her family and friends.

Isabella Trujillo graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University in 2023 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. During the pandemic,Isabella started working out regularly at home when gyms were closed and dedicated a lot of her free time to cooking to make better food choices and make a healthy lifestyle change. She then decided to change her major from Psychology to Nutrition to learn the evidence-based research of nutrition as she knew the media was filled with misinformation. While in undergrad, she worked as a Nutrition Technician at Cielo House - Comprehensive Eating Disorder Treatment Center and as a Dietetic Technician at Los Gatos Therapy Center. Isabella did various tasks, such as supporting clients with eating disorders during meal times, led nutrition education groups, and provided oral supplements for unfinished meals.

She has had 5 years of experience working as a barista where she has gained great customer service and leadership skills, as well as knowledge on food safety. Isabella’s areas of interest are sports nutrition, pregnant/lactating women, diabetes, and community nutrition. In the future, she hopes tohave her own private practice. While not studying nutrition, she likes to lift weights, visit different restaurants in San Francisco, hang out with friends, and attend concerts.

Bethany Tsukamoto graduated Cum Laude from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2023 with a B.S. in Applied Nutrition. During her sophomore year at Cal Poly, she worked as a Food Service Worker at French Hospital Medical Center. Some of her duties included serving patients their meals and operating sanitization and cleaning equipment. After gaining valuable experience in food service, she wanted to explore her interest in school nutrition and became one of the Choose Well Ambassadors for Cal Poly Dining. Here, she helped determine the nutritional makeup of the food items offered on campus and acted as the liaison between campus dining and students. Bethany especially enjoyed this position as she got the opportunity to work under an RDN. During her dietetic internship, she is excited to discover what field she would like to work in once she becomes an RDN. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, visiting cat shelters, walking, and going on food adventures!

Mikayla Van Lewen graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2023 with a B.S. in Applied Nutrition and a minor in Gerontology. Duringher undergraduate degree she worked as a dietary aide for Mission View Health Center which provided her with great hands-on experience with in-patient care and food safety. Mikayla was also a student manager for the Cal Poly Chocolate production team which also allowed her to gainmore experience with food safety management.

Mikayla has a particular interest in the older population and hopes to work with older adults in the future. Throughout her years at Cal Poly, she wasable to gain an abundance of experience with the older population through coordinating games and activities for older adults in skilled nursing facilities as well as doing nutrition presentations in retirement homes. In her dietetic internship she is looking forward to clinical rotations as she hopes to become a clinical dietitian focusing on outpatient care, oncology, or diabetes. For fun, she enjoys staying active by playing sports and lifting weights. She also spends her free time crocheting and taking care of her house plants

Juliet Dubow Wettle graduated summa cum laude from San Francisco State University in 2023 with a B.S. in Dietetics. Her educational journey led her in two directions before landing in the Dietetics field. She has a background in education having a BS in Liberal studies with an emphasis in teaching multiple subjects. She coordinated literacy-based programs for elementary age children for two years then taught English as a Foreign Language in Spain for three years. After living in Spain, she worked in food service for 15 years as a chef and private events caterer.

Dietetics has been a culmination of these two fields. Juliet strongly believes in teaching the next generation about nutrition. By starting good habitswhen they are young, they will continue to try new foods and eat well, which is possibly the most effective cause of change for the future. Many health concerns begin with breaking the cycle, and who better to start with than the children who will go on to teach what they know? Juliet would like to find ways to involve the whole family when possible, in better eating and living a healthy lifestyle. Juliet loves all things food which includes gardening, cooking and preserving food with her children.. She also enjoys fashion, traveling and being creative by sewing, doing artwork, or projects with her children.

Celeste Wong graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics & Nutrition Science. Before starting the dietetic internship, she volunteered at Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, assisting three registered dietitians. She created nutrition education pamphlets to educate the clients on heart disease, diabetes, food & drug interactions, brain health, and healthy eating. Aside from working in the diet office, she assisted with kitchen inspections to ensure food safety standards were followed and assisted with meal delivery to interact with clients and perform wellness checks. She also volunteered in the emergency department at UCSF where she was responsible for answering call lights, providing comfort to patients, translating in Cantonese, and relaying concerns and needs from patients to nurses. She has also volunteered& at the Marin Food Bank, Project Open Hand, St. Anthony’s dining hall, and Ronald McDonald House. During her free time, Celeste likes to spend time with her two dogs, watch TV, and bake.