Lizette DeDios

High School: Independence High School

Mission College
AS – Biological Science, May 2017
AA – Liberal Arts (Natural Science & Math), May 2017

UC Davis
Communications Major
Community Nutrition Minor
Public Health and Sciences Minor

"After I graduated Mission College, I transferred to the University of California Davis to initially study Clinical Nutrition and become a Registered Dietician. However, things did not work out as planned. Honestly, I could not be gladder!

It was during my first and second quarter at UC Davis that I knew I was in the wrong major. The classes I took were science heavy, which was doable as I passed the classes. However, I was miserable. I knew that something was missing. I was not excited to go to the classes my major advisor had planned for me to take for the next two and a half years. There were snip bits of the classes that I took that I did find interesting but not enough to keep me going. And so, after two long and exhausting quarters, I knew I needed to change majors. But to what, I asked myself. I still love talking about food and nutrition.

Upon browsing through the enormous catalog of majors and minors, there were three things that caught my eye: Communications major, Community Nutrition minor, and Public Health and Sciences minor. All three encompasses everything I hoped to learn in my upper division coursework. Long story short, I petitioned to change majors and created an ed plan that included both minors! With communications, I am able to learn how to effectively talk in various situations. With community nutrition and public health, I am able to learn the massive ways of the health care system and learn about the basics of nutrition!

Today, I not only enjoy my classes but look forward to going to them. I have also interned as a community nutrition educator and volunteered in nutrition outreach thus far. I started working at the UC Davis Admissions Office as a Student Outreach Ambassador for the Transfer Opportunity Program. In addition to my job at the admissions office, I work at the Student Housing and Dining Commons. Lastly, in my spare time, I volunteer some of my time in a club called Food Recovery Program in which allocates food that would otherwise be thrown out and go to waste to those in need in hopes to fight food waste and hunger.

After graduating UC Davis, I will be taking the CHES exam to become a Certified Health Educator Specialist and hopefully work with UC Davis to end food insecurity in college students and in the community or work with the local food bank in nutrition outreach and nutrition education. I am now also considering getting a degree in counseling as I have also grown very fond of the wonderful job that counselors do to help out students become the successful people they are meant to be.

I am thankful for my time at Mission college! I love how amazing the counselors are the Honors Program or the staff from MESA. Not to mention, the professors in communication, chemistry, and biology that were truly inspiring and had really impacted my career goals for the better.

For those who are transferring to a 4-year university, I hope that you are truly learning what you love and doing what you love. Don’t get stuck in a major that makes you feel miserable. Explore your options. When you find that major that is most suitable for you, it changes your whole outlook of college and the world. Instead of dreading going to your classes, you won’t get enough of it. Wouldn’t that be nice?"