I have been doing Mentored Research with two professors in the Nutrition Dept since July 2008. We are studying college students attitudes towards cooking, their cooking skills, and what kinds of food are made when they do cook. All of the students in Nutrition 100 classes had to participate in an assignment where they had to cook an entree and record their perceptions of its taste, how quick/easy it was, the cost of ingredients, and a several other factors. We have been tediously analyzing the data since late November. (Many of you probably saw me coding responses during the holidays) The collection of data was finally finished in early January. We each took a different aspect of the research and frantically put together our own abstract for submission to The Society for Nutrition Education (SNE).
SNE has finished reviewing the abstracts, and all of us have been accepted to go to the SNE National Conference in New Orleans! I, my two professors, and one other student will be spending 5 days in New Orleans this July to present our research. Even though I will be a 'graduate' by that time, BYU is treating me to an all-expenses-paid trip!
I think this is a perfect way to top off my education here at BYU. I have greatly enjoyed my BYU experience and as I get closer to graduation I realize just how much I have learned and applied my education in my life already. I look forward to moving on and starting a new phase of life, but I'm glad I can "go back" and reap the rewards of my hard work in July.
