By: Beth Pangia

Hi everyone! My name is Beth Pangia and I am an upcoming junior at the University of Pittsburgh! I am originally from Upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes Region. Some of my hobbies include travelling, hiking, working out, and spending time with family. I have family in California, so I get to go there every year and visit them, which sparked my interest in travelling around the globe. I am currently studying Dietetics and Nutrition, in hopes to work in private practice or as an oncology dietitian. This summer, I attended the Food Studies Program in Florence, Italy, and it was an amazing experience. I mainly decided to go on this trip because my dad’s side of the family is Italian, and I wanted to see my cultural roots. Also, I am very into cooking, so I wanted to gain some experience with cooking Italian food, and I also wanted to see how Italian food compares to the United States in terms of processing/additives. I have a bethpangia.cooks page, where I post quick and easy recipes for people to make at home. I decided to try some of my recipes in Italy and I swear everything tastes better in Italy! Lastly, I decided to choose this program mainly because I have a passion for alleviating food insecurity, and I wanted to see the severity of food insecurity in Italy compared to the United States, and what may account for the differences. I was able to volunteer at a local food bank, where I got to learn more about the prevalence of food insecurity in Italy and why it is not as discussed/noticeable compared to the United States.

              So far, I have not really gotten into my major at school, but I get to enter the program this upcoming semester (I am so excited!). I decided to major in Dietetics and Nutrition because there are some many different paths you can take with it, and more than one of those paths interest me. Some of the paths I’m interested in are Oncology Dietetics, Community Dietetics, and Private Practice. I also really wanted to have a career where I am helping others and making a difference in someone’s life, which is why I was drawn to Dietetics. I had a guaranteed spot in this program as long as I kept a specific GPA. I was motivated to maintain this GPA so I could get into the profession and make a difference in the field of Dietetics. I have many interests when it comes to nutrition and health, so I was motivated to continue to work hard so I can get involved within this field. I have also learned from my parents that if you stay motivated and determined to achieve your goals, you will succeed. Seeing how all the hard work I have put in throughout my life has benefited me keeps me motivated to tackle all the hard courses I have to take to complete my major because it will lead me to a successful future. Some of my professional goals would be to eventually one day run my own company, or be a head of a company. I want to be able to expand on not only my science knowledge, but also the business side of things. I want to be proud of my future and the life I have made for myself. Some of my personal goals would be expand on my cultural knowledge as I go through my program, and become more personable to others. I want to make a difference in other people’s lives and make them feel more confident in themselves. My motivation to continue to tackle the obstacles I encounter on my journey to becoming a dietitian will allow me to succeed in completing my personal and professional goal. I have been taught to stay determined and work hard towards your goals and in the end, everything will work out. If I continue on with this grit and determination, I believe I will complete all my professional and personal goals in my career path, and make differences in many peoples’ lives.