Michelle Liu
Michelle Liu graduated with a degree in Dietetics. She now works as a Nutrition Counselor for the Maryland WIC Program. This is a federally-funded program to help women, infants, and children under 5 with nutritional counseling. She says that her interest in nutrition and her choice of Dietetics relates to her personal experiences.
“I chose this major mainly due to health issues in my family. My father is diabetic and my mother has hypertension. I thought it would benefit my family and myself (and as many as those who are around me) if I could learn more about healthy eating and the chemistry between food consumption and physiology.”
Michelle learned about WIC through the nutrition courses she had taken at the university, and was familiar with how beneficial their programs could be for the nutritional needs of their participants.
“I was very excited to learn that I could be a part of a team that could make a big difference in many individuals’ lives. I also enjoy working with children, so I thought the position would perfectly fit my career outlook,” she says.
She found out about the opportunity from a friend who works for the WIC Program as well. She met with many clinic managers and the director and assistant director of the Montgomery County WIC branch, and was offered the job about three months after she applied.
“My favorite part of the job is to work with children and infants. I also enjoy the diversity I encounter on a daily basis. Since WIC serves a diverse population, I have also learned to speak some basic Spanish.”
As part of her work as a nutrition counselor, Michelle determines participants’ eligibility for the program. This involves reviewing residency, income, anthropomorphic measurements, hemoglobin levels, and if there are any existing medical conditions or nutritional risks.
“As a nutrition counselor, I do take on more responsibility since I have better knowledge in nutrition,” she says. “I would need to counsel participants with higher nutritional risks. I also often correspond with doctors’ offices in regards to specific formula needs for infants.”
Michelle says that her academic experience at the university helped to prepare her for her current position. She is able to provide participants with additional information and offer better explanations of the programs with the knowledge she gained as a student.
ShareThisLast updated: 02/15/2011