UGA Dining Services relies on exceptional student employees who help ensure that the dining commons operate smoothly. In the Nutrition Department, we depend on Student Nutrition Clericals to maintain menus, update allergens, manage inventory, create educational content, and assist the Dietitians.

These dedicated individuals play a pivotal role in shaping the dining experience at UGA, and we are excited to showcase their stories and celebrate their influence. We checked in with them to see where they are now…

“I loved so many parts of working with nutrition services, and it was a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to many different areas of food service.

“If I had to choose, one of my favorite parts about working for nutrition services was the mentorship and guidance from the RDs that work for UGA, Dr. Ingerson and Mariah.

“They had so much wisdom to share from their own experiences and it was so fun to ask them questions and pick their brains about nutrition.

“I also loved the positive work environment and it was exciting to feel like you are impacting and helping such an important part of the student’s lives.”

– Grace Burton

Grace Burton is a former nutrition student who worked in for the Nutrition Department.

During her time with us, Grace created social media and creative content for students, developed menus for students with special dietary needs, and updated allergen information.

When she wasn’t working for the nutrition department, she was busy as the owner/operator of F45, a functional fitness facility here in Athens!

She begins her dietetic internship with Morrison Healthcare in August and will graduate with her MS degree in December. While we are sad to see her go, we are cheering her on from afar!

“My time with UGA Dining Services was a phenomenal experience. Not only were my assignments interesting, but the work environment was, to put it simply, fun!

“I was surrounded by individuals who were passionate about their jobs, friendly and exceptional leaders.

“Before working in the office, I had limited knowledge of how food service in a dining hall operated. I loved walking through the storage rooms, learning about UGA’s cycle menus, and developing nutrition education messaging for students!”

– Renee Hutton

Renee Hutton graduated with her bachelor’s degrees in animal science and dietetics.

She is now a PhD student studying nutritional sciences under Dr. Ginnefer Cox in the UGA Sensory Evaluation and Product Development Laboratory. Her research objective is to assess college students’ consumption, knowledge, and perception of dairy and to increase the relevance and reputation of dairy-based foods in college dining.

Renee’s long-term goal after graduation is to become a registered dietitian and work for the National Dairy Council to connect consumers with their food and those farmers who produce it, especially animal agriculture.

“My time as a nutrition clerical went by too fast, and I will cherish the memories I made.

“When I started working for the dietitians here at UGA Dining, I felt welcomed into the nutrition family. Dr. Ingerson and Ms. McDaniel are the best bosses as they genuinely try to highlight each student’s strengths.

“They encouraged me to prioritize projects that allowed me to be creative, such as table tents, posters, and social media posts!

“I encourage all nutrition students to apply for a position here; it will be one of your best opportunities.”

– Ava Harris

Ava Harris has been a nutrition clerical since May 2022. What started as a practicum position turned into a part-time job.

Ava has pursued various tasks and projects with us and has found that her strong suit is writing blog posts and creating social media content.

Ava is a nutrition graduate student graduating in December 2024 with her Master’s in community nutrition. In August 2024, and she will begin her Dietetic Internship with Diet to Lifestyle in Peachtree City, GA.

Her long-term goal is to work with athletes to achieve their performance goals through nutrition.

“I really enjoyed the people I worked with! The nutrition team is super fun and definitely an awesome group to get to know.

“Working on this team was also super exciting because there was something new every day.

“Whether I was working on a table tent, taste testing in the dining hall, or delivering items to other dining halls around campus, there was always some new, random, exciting adventure.”

– Catherine Sigman

Catherine Sigman joined the UGA Dining nutrition team this past year and has become quite an asset. Her creative vision and smiley charm inspire students and lights up the office each day.

She became the go-to person for table top ads and interesting blog posts during her time on the team.

Catherine will begin her MBA program through the University of Tennessee August of 2024 and will start her Morrison Healthcare Dietetic internship in the fall of 2025. Her long term goal is to manage logistics or operations for a food focused company.

“My time at the UGA Dining Commons was a blast! There is such a wide variety of things to do that if you don’t like doing one thing, there was always another area that you could learn and thrive in.

“This led to a more efficient work environment and made me feel more comfortable about the tasks I am assigned.

“Working with a team of other student nutrition clericals made for so many great memories of laughter and teamwork.’’

– Jesse Perry

Jesse Perry began working for the University of Georgia Nutrition Department in May of 2022. He has been a valuable member to the team and has become essential to maintaining inventory.

Jesse is a natural hard worker and became the Student Nutrition Manager in his first year of employment.

Jesse recently graduated with his Master’s degree in Community Nutrition and plans to work as a registered dietitian in the food industry.

We do not doubt that he will move on to do amazing things for other food establishments as he has done for us here at UGA.