North Oaks Honors 20th Class of Dietetic Interns
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Although the day marked the end of formal instruction for the North Oaks Health System Dietetic Internship Program’s 20th graduating class, it is just the beginning of the students’ learning experience, they were told during a ceremony on Thursday, June 6 at the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center.
The graduates are Kristin Fiorello, Mandeville; Cory Dwayne LeDoux, Eunice; Theresa Pevey Derenbecker, Ponchatoula; Emily Loraine Thevis, Mowata; Claire Toups, Thibodaux; and Ellen Elizabeth Smith, Beaumont, Texas.
“It is a lifetime of learning,” shared keynote speaker Cheryl Atkinson, PhD, RD, LDN. “Always know your strengths, but always be yourself. An original is worth more than a copy. ”
Dr. Atkinson, president of the Louisiana Dietetic Association, is an author and associate professor at Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge and the Director of Southern’s Dietetic Internship program. She congratulated the students on their accomplishments and encouraged them to become active members of their new vocation.
Special honors were bestowed upon three graduates, including Fiorello who received the Mary Nelson Award, given by the Dietetic Internship faculty for exceptional work, enthusiastic attitude, dedication to the dietetic profession and academic excellence.
The Southeast District Dietetic Association chose Thevis as recipient of the Carol Bertrand Award for Excellence. The award was created in memory of the late Bertrand, who was a registered dietitian and graduate of North Oaks’ second Dietetic Internship class.
Dr. Rodney Taylor presented the Dannye Young Taylor “Always Remembering Others” Award in honor of his wife to Toups in recognition of selfless assistance of others.
The North Oaks Dietetic Internship Program offers qualified individuals a unique opportunity to attain eligibility for the Registration Examination for Dietitians through one year of supervised experience. For more information about the North Oaks Dietetic Internship, contact the program office at (985) 230-6548 or click here.
