Hello! My name is Stephanie Kierski, I am a recent University of Delaware graduate with a Bachelor's in Nutrition and Dietetics, currently pursuing my Master's degree in Functional Nutrition. This summer, I obtained my National Board certification for Health and Wellness Coaching! My end goal is to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a focus on diabetes prevention, health behavior change strategies, and sustainable weight management. Once I complete my Master's degree this December, I will be applying to the Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas for the final step of my education; a 10-month dietetic internship, with over 1200 hours of supervised practice. These internships are unpaid and require a full-time schedule, in this case, I would not have any form of income until my internship is completed.

My family came to this country with nothing, starting both of their businesses on their own with no prior experience. They want to see me become a professional more than anything in the world. I have watched my family undergo so much financial hardship growing up, and once I started college after the pandemic, we have not been able to fully recover. My parents have supported me in every possible way on this journey and I could never find the words to express how grateful I am for their constant effort and commitment to me and my education. With that being said, I cannot find it in my heart to ask them for more, and I have been doing as much as I can to afford my post-graduate education on my own. I have worked 3 jobs every summer and worked throughout all 4 years of college to save up for this exact moment. Unfortunately, the cost of graduate school and the internship combined have taken up nearly all of my savings.

My goal is $5,000 to offset the cost of living and moving, such as food, rent, utilities, furniture, textbooks/materials, and any other expenses I may have during my internship in the Spring.

I truly thank anyone who is able to help support my future goals and I hope one day I can return the favor in supporting you in your health!

With love and gratitude,

Stephanie