It is said that “sometimes in life, a sudden situation or a moment in time, alters your whole life and forever changes the road ahead.” Such is the story of young RDN Alyssa Smolen who chose this field as a way to pay it forward after prevailing in a battle with an eating disorder. “I unfortunately, like a lot of dietetics students, found this career through an eating disorder. Following my recovery, I became really passionate about proper nutrition and properly fueling
the body. I feel strongly about educating others on the importance of nutrition and myth busting common nutrition misconceptions. I don’t want people to make the same mistakes I made.”
A graduate of Montclair State University and Hunter College in New York City, Alyssa now works
as a Women, Infant, and Child WIC, nutritionist in Essex County where she educates mothers
and young children on the importance of healthy eating habits. Alyssa is also a media dietitian
creating content for her various social media platforms and brand collaborations. She credits
media dietitian, Fiorella DiCarlo RDN, CDN as one of her mentors. “I have been working with
her since 2018. She helped me construct a creative outlet during college. I edited her YouTube
videos and helped her with her social media. This inspired me to work on my own social media
presence. She helped me get my foot in the door.” During her time at MSU, she was a graduate
assistant to Mousumi Bose, who “was extremely influential in helping me develop my research
skills.”
One of her biggest challenges has been to find a job that reflected her passion. “When I was
applying for jobs, I was not interested in a position in the clinical setting, so I did not get a job
right away. It was frustrating.” But she persevered. And now as many dietetic interns are nearing
the completion of their internship, her advice to the new cohort of dietitians is to “follow your
passions and interests. It is important to find what area of dietetics interests you and seek
opportunities that are related to that area. This can help you determine if this is actually an area
you want to work in. Not every dietitian needs to work in a community or clinical setting. This is
why dietetics is so wonderful because there are so many areas for RDs to work. So, if you like
sports nutrition, volunteer with a sports team or if you like writing, write for your school’s paper.”
Despite her busy schedule, Alyssa is currently training for the 128th Boston Marathon on April
15th. All for an excellent cause. “I am running with a charity team to raise money for a cause
that is near and dear to my heart. I am raising money for Massachusetts General Brigham
Eye and Ear which specializes in treating diseases of the head and neck. In 2020 I was
diagnosed with thyroid cancer and running helped me process my diagnosis and has helped me
cope since.”
We applaud Alyssa’s strength!
IG:https://www.instagram.com/arugalyssa/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arugalyssa
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alyssasmolen
