RDN Spotlight: Kayla Hopkins, MS, RDN
What is your ethnicity/race? Did your family have any customs related to food? Please describe.
African American
Where/when did you go to undergrad/dietetic internship/grad school?
University of South Carolina-BS Public Health/2011-2015/Winthrop University-MS Human Nutrition 2017-2018/Dietetic Internship-Winthrop University
Why did you decide to choose nutrition and dietetics as a career?
After being unsure of what I wanted to do out of undergrad, I asked myself the age-old question, "What would I do for free?" The answer was health and nutrition. I researched the job for that an RD popped up! Had never heard of a dietitian before. I especially enjoy using nutrition and dietary modifications in the setting of digestive health and gastrointestinal disorders. There aren't many GI Dietitians and the patient population truly benefits from medical nutrition therapy.
What do you do now as an RDN and what does a typical day/week look like for you?
After 1 year working as an RD, I realize now that I am the result of a combination of all my mentors, preceptors etc. In DI, we all have preceptors we love, and those we don't. However, I realize that you take pieces of them all with you into your practice and you can really make things your own. I also learned that just about anything is possible if you just ask for it! Lastly, we are truly the nutrition experts and we must stand up and keep our heads held high. Our patients see the value in nutrition especially now in 2021 and how useful diet can be to treat a variety of diseases and disorders.
What is/was the biggest challenge for you in becoming a dietitian and how did you overcome that challenge? This can be related to being an RD of color or not just any challenge?
The biggest challenge for me in becoming a dietitian initially was participating in rotations or shadowing experiences that I felt did not align with my future goals. As dietitians or RD2Bs we are super focused on our goal or what "kind" of dietitian we want to be. Even experiences that I did not think were related to my overall goals have been useful in some way; whether it be a product a patient may bring up that I learned in food service or a "fad diet" that I heard about during my bariatric rotation; it has helped me become a better dietitian and healthcare provider.
Have you had any mentors in your career if yes how have those mentors affected your career/life?
Thus far, my mentors have been any woman that is taking charge and creating space for herself in leadership roles where she may have been the only one. I am very inspired by successful and driven women, especially women of color.
Why do you think diversifying this field is important?
The country is diverse! Food is diverse! That means that healthcare providers must also be diverse especially dietitians. We must facilitate an environment in which our patients feel that they are heard and understood. Food is a very personal, cultural, and emotional experience and nutrition education or counseling should be given by a wide variety of backgrounds to best serve our patients.
What is a piece of advice you would give a student of color interested in entering the field of dietetics?
"You may be the only one in the room or in your class but this as an advantage, not a disadvantage. You have something special to say and a unique perspective to provide to the world. Do not be afraid!"