Hello everyone, I’m Normandy Nutrition’s Founder & Lead RD! Here's my story:
I got my start as a psychology & design/technical theatre major and human development minor at University of Wisconsin – Green Bay in 2009. I loved working behind the scenes and design! It was a blast, but also a lot of hard work physically and time-consuming. I fell out of love with psychology when I got into the upper-level classes. Statistics is not my favorite thing. It was and is fascinating, but I just didn’t love it enough. I still knew I liked the science & medicine part, so I thought about going back to school to be an RN. I then went to school at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in 2014 to get my CNA and worked in home health for a few years, then I had a 9-5 corporate office job for another few years. Same thing as before - I didn’t feel as if I could do this every day for the rest of my life. These were jobs I liked, but I didn’t absolutely love them enough to feel fulfilled. I had always loved cooking, the creative aspect of design, and the fascinating aspect of science, so that stuck in the back of my mind for quite a few years – I knew I wanted to go back to school eventually, but didn’t quite know which specific path, and college is expensive! It wasn't an easy or quick decision, that's for sure. My parents suggested culinary school, as that would incorporate my love of art, food, and science, but I knew myself enough to know I like to cook as a hobby and I wouldn't want it for a career.
After I met my husband of almost 7 years, who is a Type 1 diabetic, I had to learn a LOT more about diabetes very quickly, especially with him being dependent on an insulin pump. Because of this, I accompanied him to one of his follow-up appointments one day and I met his endocrinologist and dietitian. I had briefly considered med school in the past, but more for dermatology (fun fact: I have a slight obsession with skincare) or infectious disease. I had NO idea what a dietitian was, or what they did. I had heard of a nutritionist before, but fun fact: ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist with little to no training so please don’t fall for that. Even doctors have minimal education on nutrition– always work with a Registered Dietitian (RD) as we are trained experts in nutrition therapy! Anyway, that was quite literally a life-changing day – we met with the RD specializing in diabetes education and I was absolutely fascinated and intrigued. I directly asked that person: “How do I do what you do?” I was told, in short, that I had to go back to school for several years and go through a lot of expensive hoops to even begin the career with the RD credential. So I did!
I got into a Didactic Program in Dietetics, or DPD, which essentially means I was a human biology major in a specially accredited program (as not all schools have that specific curriculum, and there are extra requirements in addition to the degree to complete the DPD part) in 2017. This was a BIG change from being a psych & theatre major! I had to look at chemistry for the first time in almost a decade, I had to get good grades, and it was A LOT of hard science and math. The math was, to put it simply, a huge struggle for me as I was never good at it so I obviously didn't like it. I still don't love it, but science necessitates some math so as a science major I was forced to practice it a lot so I am pretty decently comfortable with it now. Being a science major was at least interesting to me (unlike math), but also the most challenging mentally and academically.
On top of that, not a lot of people know this, but a Didactic Program in Dietetics is actually more credit-intensive than a pre-med program. It is quite similar, except a DPD doesn't require physics or as much organic chemistry (typically 1 semester instead of 2; fun note: I attempted then abandoned physics because math and I do not get along well) and then we get to do lots of food science and business management classes on top of the regular biology, chemistry, physiology, etc. and gen eds of course. I did get to do some theatre work after quite a few years' hiatus because I do love it, but again, not enough to do it for the rest of my life. I would rather support the arts by attending shows and painting at home and knowing way more than the average theatre-goer about what goes on behind the scenes!
Anyway, my final spring semester I compiled an application over 20 pages for my next step, the DICAS match process which was a special kind of stress (another similarity with pre-med life). I matched on my first round with Nutrition Ink Dietetic Internship Program that spring, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology with an emphasis in Nutrition Science, DPD verified, in 2021. After I completed over 1200 hours of supervised practice rotations in endocrinology and diabetes education, cardiac rehabilitation, dialysis, inpatient acute medical/surgical, intensive care, orthopedics, pediatrics, private and group counseling, skilled nursing, and more, I graduated from my DI program in 2022, moved to Milwaukee for my first Clinical Dietitian position, and got to work studying for boards – the final hurdle! In 2023, I passed my national credentialing exam to be a Registered Dietitian and then became licensed to practice medical nutrition therapy in the state of Wisconsin. Finally, after years of working my tail off, I was ready to start a new career.
As you might imagine, it was a long and difficult road with literal blood, sweat, and tears. Apart from developing carpal tunnel syndrome that semester, my school's anatomy & physiology course had us prick our fingers to test for blood type as part of learning about introductory hematology. I also had a rotation with Aurora diabetes education that had me, as part of a project, wear a continuous glucose monitor and prick my finger to check my blood sugar daily for a month... blood. Another part of my schooling was during COVID, so imagine not only the masks but also the full plastic PPE going into patient rooms and talking to people about their nutritional health, etc which often takes half an hour or more... sweat. Along with the sheer stress and frustration of not only going back to school and dealing with homework and finals, but also: paying tuition out of pocket for college and the DI program, paying to apply to the next step and waiting to see if I got in, having to find & secure rotations at all much less in-person in the midst of COVID, living a few hours away from my husband while attending away rotations for my DI (which was unpaid full-time work on top of assignments and studying, in case you're not already aware), looking for and finding a job in another city which meant very quickly finding and paying for an apartment & other living expenses with absolutely NO savings left, moving, and then of course studying for boards while working full-time but at least getting paid... tears.
These pictures are all of me smiling during my intern year, mainly due to the fact I was so happy to finally be at the point where I was putting into practice years of study plus I was starting to feel like a real dietitian as I was getting close to getting to the end of a long journey... but that does not take away from the fact that this was part of the most stressful time in my life and it was the hardest thing I've ever done.
I understandably have a special passion for diabetes education & nutrition therapy, but I also have a huge passion for the French way of living - hence the inspiration for my approach and the name of my practice. I also wrote my graduate thesis research paper on the topic of French-inspired nutrition education, but I digress. I didn't plan on writing part of my life story here but my point is, I say all of this to illustrate that I truly love what I do and quite honestly, after my degree, I told myself there's no turning back because I did not work this hard to give up nor settle for less than what I deserve. Those credentials were hard-won. I could not be more proud or thankful for myself and my incredible support system that has helped me get to this point in my career. I could not have gotten this far without my family, particularly my husband and parents, and of course, purpose - it's that little flame that lights a fire under your ass - ha!
Besides working, I enjoy cooking, baking, reading non-fiction because I’m a nerd, watching movies, listening to music, dance, yoga, and hanging out with my friends & family. I adore my husband, food, science, food science, travel, and cats big & small. My dreams include lots of travel around the world, restoring and living in old houses, and having rescue/foster kitties.
Fun Facts About Me:
My guilty pleasure is watching infomercials - especially ones with the last kitchen gadget/appliance you will ever need!
I call all dogs puppies, regardless of their age.
I find pipetting oddly relaxing.
Backstreet Boys over NSYNC!
I have a weird talent for untangling cables.
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