RDN Spotlight: Sequoia Ridley, RDN, LDN

What is your ethnicity/race? Did your family have any customs related to food? Please describe.

Black! Growing up, my stepdad introduced me to farmers’ markets and plant-based foods (he was vegan). He was into health food trends before they were popular. I would go with him to do food demos at Whole Foods; we made everything from smoothies to kale chips to energy bites. Today, I base a lot of my food decisions on that foundation.

Where/when did you go to undergrad/dietetic internship/grad school?

I am a proud alumnus of UNC Greensboro where I got my BS in Human Nutrition. I completed my DI at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.

Why did you decide to choose nutrition and dietetics as a career?

Originally, I wanted to be a chef. After doing a cooking program in high school, I realized that wasn’t going to work (haha!). I had a passion for food and science. I honestly didn’t even know about dietitians until I was a senior in high school. I have always had a passion for health and wellness and dietetics seemed to mesh both of those things together. Fast forward to graduating with my BS in nutrition, I wasn’t completely sold on going the internship route so I decided to test my luck with no RD credential. I found my job options to be very limiting so I decided to complete the DI and here I am today, content as a Wellness RD!

What do you do now as an RDN and what does a typical day/week look like for you?

I am a Wellness dietitian working in an outpatient hospital setting. I primarily serve the hospital employees as well as employees of the city and county where I work. This position was new for me as I am more of a contracted RD who doesn’t serve the general population. Right now, I am working with a few different programs. My hospital offers bariatric surgery in which candidates must meet with me for 6 months to discuss nutritional implications of the surgery and begin behavior change. I also work with employees who desire assistance in any nutrition-related capacity. I create lunch and learns on different topics for employees to watch. I also deliver nutrition programming for our pregnant employees and spouses. I do a lot and there’s lots to be done!

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 an RD was having to push myself to quit my full time job as a Nutrition Educator for Cooperative Extension, and complete the internship. As stated previously, I wanted to see what I could do without being an RD after I got my bachelors. I landed a position that was perfect for someone just getting their foot into the nutrition door, but I quickly learned that my options were so limited not being an RD. BUT, I loved the stability of my full-time, salaried job and sat on the fence about the internship for about 2 years. My husband (who is my biggest supporter) spoke lots of affirmations over me and pushed me to apply! I’m so happy I made the decision to do it because it seemed like once I saw the “you passed” score on my exam, it felt like so many doors had opened.

Have you had any mentors in your career if yes how have those mentors affected your career/life?

I have had a couple of mentors. One of them was an outpatient RD that I got a chance to shadow before I became an RD. She was a diabetes educator who helped solidify my decision to apply for the internship. She emphasized that it was so worth it! I also consider my internship preceptors to be mentors as they were able to guide me and help me tune into my passions (which were NOT in the clinical setting!).

Why do you think diversifying this field is important?

I had never even heard of RDs until I was almost 18 years old. I feel like that’s not the case for most other health professions, and I think it was because I didn’t know any RDs, let alone any black RDs. There are so many populations that need the background, the cultural content, the experience, and the relatability of RDs of color. It’s crucial! Aside from language, there are cultural traditions that need to be protected, and it’s difficult to protect those traditions if you don’t understand or even want to understand them. That’s where diversity is essential! As a black woman, I understand some cultural context through relatability, not because I read about it but because I grew up in it. There’s beauty in diversity and hopefully one day our modest 3% will turn into 30% and everywhere you look there will be an RD of color.

What is a piece of advice you would give a student of color interested in entering the field of dietetics?

DO IT! That’s the best advice I could give. Yes, you will have to commit to being unemployed for a year, but it’s so worth it! Don’t worry about potentially being an “outsider” in the field and wondering how you will fit into the already established “culture”. Do it! Your field will make room for you and all of the traditions that you bring with you.