My name is Alina Schmidt, the way in which I became interested in nutrition and my approach to nutrition have a lot to do with my athletics in my youth and the community in which I was raised. Medication was a last resort for ailments, food was utilized as medicine first. As an athlete at 16 years old I noticed my hands shaking halfway through a match and feeling increasingly more fatigued. I began to research nutrition for pre-, post-, and during my athletics in order to achieve peak performance. This was the start of my nutrition journey. I later pursued my dietetic degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I was a Division I athlete. While here I meet two survivors of the Cambodian genocide and observed the long-term affects of nutrient deficiency. This experience deepened my understanding for how important nutrition is and solidified my belief that access to nutrition information and nutritious foods is a basic fundamental right we all should have. After undergrad I completed my Masters and Dietetic Internship at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. I returned back to New England where I have been working inpatient for the past 4 years with ages ranging from 4 days old to 100+ years old. While inpatient my passion to ensure patients felt confident and informed to make the best health decisions for themselves grew further. I look forward to continuing to listen to understand where my clients are in order to support, guide, and provide evidenced based education that allows them to confidently champion their own health.