Dietetics and Nutrition Therapy Class of 2022-2023

Jacinda Gray is from the small town of Alpena, Arkansas. She graduated in May 2022 with her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. To occupy her time, she enjoys cooking, working out, and has recently gotten back into crocheting. She is interested in the dietetics field because of her love for cooking, but also because of how the food we eat impacts our lives in a major way. For her future, she is thinking of working in a way where she can educate people on how to prevent or slow diseases with the diet.

MiKayla grew up in Pocahontas, AR and will be graduating with a BS in Dietetics in May 2022. MiKayla lives in Conway with her husband, Benton. She likes to spend time outdoors, explore new places, cook, and be with family and friends. Her passion for nutrition started when she took her first nutrition class. She is eager to learn about more areas of dietetics through UCA’s program to see how she can share this knowledge with many who need it and use my developed skills to benefit and bring change to communities.

Anna grew up in California with a love of food and cooking and dreams of becoming a chef. After high school, she went off to culinary school before beginning an early career as a pastry cook. Anna settled in Arkansas several years ago and still enjoys baking for fun, especially sourdough bread, but these days she spends more time cooking, and a beautiful farmers market or produce section is really what gets her excited. Anna also lovesbeing active and adventuring outside and since moving to Arkansas, she has gotten really into mountain biking. Her long-term fascination with food sparked an interest in nutrition and by the end of her first nutrition class, she was hooked. Becoming a dietitian seemed like the best way to apply her interests to a meaningful career with lots of room for creativity and varied opportunities. Anna graduated from UCA with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, and looks forward to using her cooking background and love of food to promote the benefits of healthy eating.

I was born in Safford, Arizona, but I lived in Southern California most of my life. I transferred from San Diego Mesa Community College in San Diego, California. I’m the oldest of 3, with one younger brother and a younger sister. I’ve always been fascinated by food science and human metabolism, so dietetics was a natural area of study for me! I would really like to work in research and administrative roles in nutrition. Research is something I really want to do because there are so many unknown or lesser-known factors that can influence nutrition and metabolism. Administration work isn’t the most exciting on paper, but I want to do my part in creating or updating the rules and regulations that affect the nutrition of our communities. As far as hobbies, I really like to cook and build things like models. I really like to see the tangible results of my efforts. There isn’t a guarantee that it will come out right the first time, but I enjoy the process of finding what will work and how I could improve the next time I attempt a dish or build. Cooking might be more practical than hobby-like, but it is something I find fun and rewarding.

Blaklee Scott grew up in Conway, Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics in May 2022. She enjoys exercising, taking her dog Kassy for hikes and walks, spending time with family and friends, and going to the lake. She has always been interested in health and wellness, but her true passion for dietetics became evident when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. After assisting with her grandmother’s care and researching the effects of nutrition on patients with Alzheimer’s/Dementia, she realized that she could use her personal experience and education to further pursue her passion for Geriatric Nutrition. Blaklee would like to work in a geriatric clinical setting where she can help promote healthy eating with dietary guidelines within this age group.