A Reflection Letter

One's dream and aspirations to succeed in life must be stronger and greater than
limitations set forth by others. The experience that was bestowed to me during my childhood has
elevated me to where I am today. When I first enrolled here at Madonna University, I had wanted
to study dietetics as my major because that has been my vision from my childhood. After
consultation with my advisor, she encouraged me to take Nutrition and Foodservice Management
as my major instead of dietetics. Actually, I did not like the idea, but upon proper reflection, I
realized that she knows what is going to be best for me in the near future. I tried to nurture this
idea and develop a strong interest for it.
Initially, getting good grades to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition was my
priority. I asked myself, how do I meet this goal? It came to my realization that dedication and
hard work are the best tools to discover my set goals and values. Getting good grades in my
classes has been very challenging, but God has never let me down. Also, encouragement from
my advisor gives me hope to put in more effort in my studies. Going through the Nutrition and
Foodservice Management (NFSM) program has taught me so much more than I expected. For
example, the classes I took included Nutrition Education and Counseling, Medical Nutrition
Therapy, Food Service Sanitation, and Nutrition Assessment, to mention but a few. Madonna
University has helped me to enrich my knowledge in food and nutrition programs to be more
confident in life. My experience at Madonna has enlightened me to discover that nutritional
education is the key to supporting and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. This has made me develop a
strong zeal in studying nutrition at a higher level to help Ghanaians who exhibit poor nutritional
status.

I am in my senior year and I still have to pay attention to my set short term goals and
values to complete my Bachelors Degree with a high academic standing. In order to successfully
achieve my visions as a Madonna student, I need to go the extra mile by keeping my midnight
candle burning. I need to connect to my instructors for more extensive feedback to gain more
insight to produce quality work for all my assignments and turn them in at the stipulated time. I
must also review my notes to get myself well prepared for all my classroom exams. I think all
these factors are within my control, and utilizing them exactly as I have planned will bring my
goals and values into reality.
Several of the courses I have taken at Madonna, such as Food Service Sanitation have
deepened my understanding in areas such as hygiene with ServSafe Certification. Nutrition
Education and Counseling has helped me to gain experience in using the motivational interview
to give individuals knowledge to modify their eating habits. I had no previous knowledge of a
clinical case study, however, Medical Nutrition Therapy has broadened my knowledge in a
clinical case study such that I can confidently study a persons health problem and discover the
possible causes and the best ways of treating the problem. My fundamental experience in Food
Service Management has given me the opportunity to work with the Sodexo Foodservice
Operation at Madonna, assisting in cooking and services. With the basic knowledge of Medical
Nutrition Therapy, I had the opportunity to volunteer for nursing services rendered at the Hope of
Detriot Academy Health Fair on April 16, 2016. This earned me a certificate of appreciation.
My most ambitious long term goal is to earn a masters degree after which I will go back
to Ghana to help my people with the skills and the knowledge I have gained. It is my dream to
become a very informed, student-friendly lecturer and a resourceful person for small business
owners in my community. Within five years of earning my masters degree, I want to work in a

hospital and help people who do not know about healthy eating habits. In subsequent years, I will
contact experienced and knowledgeable people to indicate my willingness to participate in the
primary or secondary Food and Nutrition research projects in neighboring countries in Africa. I
have a passion for working with both mothers and children to promote healthy lifestyles.
Maternal and infant mortality are very rampant in Ghana due to the lack of nutritional knowledge
of healthy eating habits especially during pregnancy. Engaging in research projects with
accredited universities in Ghana will make me more informed and skillful in nutrition in areas
such as adding more fruits and vegetable to meals. This will equip me to organize workshops for
mothers to help them understand the importance of eating well to eradicate health related
problems among themselves and their children.
I believe that to succeed in life I must have passion, a positive attitude, and a strong work
ethic to enable me to achieve my objectives in life. As a nutrition student, I have set a goal on a
path in the nutrition field knowing I can make impacts in individual's lives that will be longlasting. My determined statement of work philosophy is to create and maintain a work
environment that facilitate the optimal utilization of available resources of the company
profitably. In a classroom setting, my statement of philosophy as an educator is to help students
meet their fullest potential in their areas of studies by providing an environment that is safe,
supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas. These will be realized by acting as a guide
and allowing students natural curiosity to direct their learning, and I will also demonstrate
respect for all my students.