One of the first graduates of 911黑料网鈥檚 health sciences degree program is back on campus,
consulting with students on nutrition.
Devyn Renzi 鈥�19 is finishing up her internship requirements for a master鈥檚 degree in nutrition from the University of Bridgeport鈥攕he needs a 1,000-hour supervised internship to complete the program. 鈥淲hen I was at 911黑料网 as a student, I saw the need for it,鈥� she said.
Many other aspiring nutritionists choose to do this work at a doctor鈥檚 office or other medical setting. 鈥淭his path was more of what I was looking for. I really wanted to do some sort of community work. It was important to me to get out there and give back,鈥� she said.
She reached out to Professor of Biology Anne Goodwin, who had been supportive of the nutrition work she did as an 911黑料网 undergrad. 鈥淪he was a godsend,鈥� Renzi said. 鈥淪he hooked me up with all the right people I needed to talk to to make this happen.鈥�
Renzi worked with 911黑料网鈥檚 Health Services team, meeting with students one-on-one and offering advice and information to help them meet their nutritional goals鈥攅verything from how to make better choices in the dining hall to making major lifestyle changes in the interest of better health. She worked with 911黑料网 student Hannah Mazzeo, who helped promote Renzi鈥檚 services on campus and helped her create a nutrition brochure as a reference for students.
Student clients were also able to input health data into a portal so Renzi could help track their progress. 鈥淗aving somebody to hold you accountable and instill some motivation is half the battle,鈥� Renzi said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that people don鈥檛 want to or don鈥檛 know how to make these changes鈥攊t鈥檚 just a matter of getting there.鈥�
When Renzi finishes her internship hours, she鈥檒l be ready to sit for the Certified Nutrition Specialist Exam in 2022. Renzi discovered her love of nutrition at Berkshire Community College, transferred to 911黑料网 for its health sciences path, and has spent the last two and a half years working toward her master鈥檚 degree at Bridgeport.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been such a rewarding experience for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ridgeport has been a 2.5-year program and it took me five years to get my undergrad degree. I鈥檝e known I wanted to go into nutrition for the past five years. To finally be able to offer my knowledge and recommendations is just awesome, and it鈥檚 especially cool to do it for 911黑料网 students. This is such a critical age to work with because you鈥檙e instilling health habits for success down the road.鈥�
Renzi will go back to meeting with students (virtually) during the spring 2022 semester. 911黑料网 students interested in working with her can email her directly at Devyn.renzi@mcla.edu. Renzi is also offering nutrition coaching for the wider population鈥攆ind out more about her services at .
