USDA Nutrition and Food Workforce for Underrepresented Students (2023-2026)

The Nutrition & Food Workforce Pathways Fellowship aims to enhance and strengthen the educational pathway to careers as Registered Dieticians (“RDs”) for underrepresented students and other careers within Dietetics, Food Science, and Culinary Arts to help improve public health and reduce childhood obesity among our underserved communities.

Project Objectives

1. Attract and support students from underrepresented groups to prepare them for food and agriculture careers.
2. Increase the number of underrepresented students at LAMC who complete the "Nutrition and Food Skills Certificate of Achievement"
3. Provide information and access to food, agricultural and related careers through collaboration with the USDA FNS, FSIS, and WIC as well as job placement in the field of nutrition with a community partner.
4. Increase enrollment in and completion of the Associate of Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree in nutrition and dietetics among underrepresented students at LAMC.

Possible Job & Internship Locations

Target Population

Undergraduate students currently enrolled at Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) are selected as "fellows" based on:

1. Need (being in underrepresented group and/or financial hardship);
2. Achievement (past academic, extracurricular activity, and/or work performance);
3. Personal statement (motivation and commitment to career in nutrition/foods).

Possible Job & Internship Locations: 

1. Consulting Nutritional Services
2. Chef Ann Foundation
3. MEIRxRS Food Smart Strategies
4. Project Angel Food, and more!

USDA Ambassadors

Executive Director Annette Besnilian	Assistant Director Jenica Smith
Pathways Graduate Student Coordinator Emely Ordoñez	LA Mission College Faculty Lead  Sheri Barke

 

2023-2024 Mentors:

Whitney Gibson	Rebecca Callo	Ruby Rodriguez
Alexandra Duta		Orlando Monroy

2024-2025 Mentors:

Visetana Ong	Kimberly Aparicio	Pardis Payami	Jessica Cabot
Maribel Briones	Megan Barcelos	Aracely Siordia	Adrian Rubalcava
Beatriz Viduarre	Leslie Marquez	Daniela Cisneros

The Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges (AWT) program, part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, aims to cultivate a skilled workforce tailored for both practical fieldwork and career roles within the food and agricultural industry. By fostering the creation of new training programs or enhancing existing ones at community, junior, and technical colleges, this initiative seeks to broaden access to hands-on learning experiences, facilitate the attainment of industry-recognized certifications, and nurture the development of essential occupational skills. Ultimately, the program endeavors to equip students with the competencies needed to thrive in today's job market, ensuring a proficient and adaptable labor force for the modern era.

Get Involved

To learn more about our programs or to participate in upcoming events, please contact us at magaram.center@csun.edu

USDA Acknowledgement

This work is supported by Nutrition and Food Workforce Pathways for Underrepresented Students [grant no. 2023-67037-40097] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.