Final Adventure in the Upper Peninsula

It's difficult for me to say goodbye to this exciting adventure. This internship in the UP taught me about nutrition, food service and marketing and myself too. Not only did I learn to strategically solve food service problems, namely the Allergen Program, but I also renewed my love for the outdoors and meeting new people. The last week at NMU was packed with field trips, project touch ups and fun times with friends. I appreciate every opportunity I had this summer and look forward to my next trip back to the UP.


Bariatric Surgery
A few weeks ago, Robin and I sat through a bariatric surgery orientation for those interested in the procedure. Thanks to Robin's great communication skills, she was able to help me gain permission to observe an actual rue-en-y  gastric bypass surgery.

Tuesday I scrubbed up for the surgery and got ready to see my anatomy books applied!  I was fortunate to talk to Dr. Soto and Dr. English prior to the surgery and it was interesting to learn about the surgery through their perspective. During the actual surgery, altering the person's anatomy and consequently physiology was the sole focus for two hours. Prior to the surgery, the doctors communicate with the patient and make it clear what they will perform, but when the procedure is actually done the patient isn't awake and the abdomen is the only visible part of the body.

 I didn't really understand the work of a surgeon until actually observing one on the job. It was amazing to see Dr. English perform the rue-en-y procedure laparoscopically. What precision! Dr. English started with six small slits, 3 above and 3 below the navel. He inserted connectors that allowed him to insert tools into the abdomen easily. After clearing scar tissue and moving fat so his view of the stomach and small intestine was clear, he created a small pouch from the stomach and used a staple gun that created a secure "new stomach" the size of a thumb. Then, he strategically cut the small intestine and reconnected it to the new stomach. By eliminating the means for food to travel throughout the entire small intestine, less is absorbed and therefore less calories, etc. Dr. English was careful in closing off the stomach and small intestine no longer being utilized. Learning through a textbook doesn't compare to observing the body first hand. I have a new respect for the medical field in general.

What really stuck with me after the surgery was what the patient will endure afterwards. Inevitably, the female patient will have to make a lot of changes in her life. Her abdominal wall will be sore for quite some time and she will be consuming 1oz of food at a time for the rest of her life. Seeing the surgery and learning about the implications afterwards really enforces the importance of preventative medicine, including nutrition and fitness. Some see the surgery as the magic fix, but in reality, it's a permanent alteration that allows the patient to attempt to regaining their health back.

Scrubbed up and ready to observe!

Still smiling after seeing a surgery!

Kayaking Lake Superior
After work Tuesday [observing the bariatric surgery and visiting the Huron Mountain Club], Robin and I ventured out to Lake Superior near her house to explore the neat sandstone formations along the shore.  Although I don't have pictures from this adventure (a potential tipped kayak would ruin my camera), some of my best memories are from that evening. I am happy Robin and I got to exchange life stories and perspectives related to nutrition, wellness and happiness.

Final Project: the Showcase
I am pleased to say that we finished the final goal on my list- the showcase. I had to choose a topic, organize the information and decorations, and make the display appealing and easy to comprehend. I took information from one of the nutrition presentations I organized, "Health Dorm Room Snacks"and incorporated snacks from Cattrax, the convenience mart on campus to demonstrate that one can make simple swaps and still consume convenient, tasty foods. We made a make-shift dorm room to catch student's attention. While there needs to be some tweaking, the display turned out decent!

Pondering the Showcase...in the Showcase

Project Reflections
As far as my projects are concerned, I couldn't have completed them without the NMU Dining staff's help. My hope was that the information I laid out would make life easier when the time came to present the nutrition topics and diabetes information, present concise and appealing information about healthy dorm room snacks in the showcase, and create a smooth system for finding information about allergens. My intent for the Allergen manual, signage and employee training quiz was to establish consistency, build confidence and to instill the expectation that NMU Dining staff will deliver great food to all guests.  The disappointing part is that I won't be there at the start of school to see everything in action and to help when things need adjustments. I am excited to hear from my summer coworkers and look forward to my visit back to Marquette, MI. 

Last Great Moments
I am sad that I have to leave the Upper Peninsula  now that my internship has ended. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with great people, try new things and explore another part of the United States.

I spent my last few days with my favorite boss and friends. They've definitely taught me to enjoy life and embrace every moment!My Mom and Stepdad visited on my final weekend in the UP too. I was excited to share little glimpses of my internship. Below are pictures from my final days in Marquette, MI.

UP Friends 

The greatest boss, Robin and I

My Mom and I enjoying the outdoors

Appreciating the adventure,

Cassandra Schnelle
Dietetics/Nutrition, Fitness and Health
Purdue University '14

First Week in the Upper Peninsula

The first week in the Upper Peninsula at Northern Michigan University has been an entirely new venture from the start of my summer. Just prior to arriving, I studied abroad in China at the Beijing Sport University, so adjusting to the United States 9 hours from my hometown Lowell, Indiana in Marquette, Michigan has definitely kept my eyes open to adventure and change. In 5 days,  I've been sent through a whirlwind of information, tours and fun in the office.

As the week progressed, I had a better idea of my role with NMU Dining Services. Robin Rahoi, the Dietitian in Food Service that I'm working for, has created many great changes with the dining services. Her goals intertwine with the food service staff to provide nutritional information about the menu items online, provide exceptional customer service and most recently, transform the menus to accommodate those with food allergies. That's where my role comes in. My primary task these next 8 weeks is to take apart what allergen program that exists and build it up so there's a solid plan to provide hot and cold menu items for those with food allergies. This plan will also include solutions to problem areas that have arisen as I've interviewed food service staff that carried out previous procedures to deal with food allergies. Prior to being assigned this internship, I had no idea how underdeveloped food allergen programs were at universities across the United States. Now, I'm determined to create a simple, yet effective way to ensure the allergen students safety. Did I mention that I have my own desk to create this plan to?!

My Summer Internship Desk

From day one I got my hands gloved and working in the kitchen. This is a dietetic/food service internship of course! Monday, Robin and I prepared gluten-free meal items to stock the allergen-free station aka the mighty mini-fridge. Currently, Robin takes on the responsibility to make them dishes, which might change after I develop the allergen manual. It was quite fun to get creative and think of ways to use the gluten-free food products. We even made vegan blueberry muffins for the upcoming student orientations. Thursday we were back in the kitchen to make black bean brownies for our official afternoon "retreat." Many of the staff were skeptical about these brownies, but once taste tested, all of them were sold! Who doesn't like[black bean] brownie sundaes?

Black Bean Brownie Sundaes

As I said, the staff of NMU are outgoing and friendly. Tuesday we had a luncheon that allowed me to introduce myself to the staff formally. They were most shocked by the fact that I hate bacon and teach kickboxing at Purdue. I am thankful to have a great staff to work with and I appreciate the welcome lunch.

The luncheon

On Thursday morning and Friday afternoon, I got to explore the town with my coworkers, Robin, Sue and Lexie. The surrounding area itself was surprisingly gorgeous- with clear water, green glass and well-kept buildings. I've scoped out a few places with Sue where we can host the annual staff picnic. [A side project I have is to plan, budget and organize an awesome picnic for the staff- how fun!] The bike trail area takes you through some amazing scenery too. I found out the Temaki and Tea restaurant, created by Robin and now run by Paul of NMU, has fantastic sushi at an affordable price! I was pleased to have a great lunch with awesome people and the opportunity to see another part of Marquette, Michigan.

Delicious Tamaki & Tea

Beautiful Marquette, MI

This weekend, I had the pleasure of being outdoors- enjoying the sunshine and gorgeous inland waters in Big Bay. Robin has a cute house right on the beach. The water is practically her backyard- it's great! Leisurely sitting in the sun in Big Bay has changed my perspective about always having to be busy. That's the most obvious difference I can establish between the Upper Peninsula and the Chicago Region area. I'm used to always moving, completing a task or going somewhere; after all, something always has to get done, right? The people of Marquette have really  [indirectly] challenged me to appreciate that days don't always have to run on a timeline, yet acknowledging that some boundaries need to be made, like going to work on time. I have to admit, I've been frustrated at times here- it takes ten minutes to check out of a store anywhere which I initially translated as people "dilly often." Nonetheless, things get done and people seem happier, so they must be doing something right. I have decided to embrace the difference in perspective and enjoy the unique opportunities I get to experience outdoors and with great people. After all, when you have an opportunity to jump in a kayak and enjoy the settling sun, why wouldn't you go? I might have been uncertain how to navigate the kayak since the last time I was in one was 12 years ago, but once I was settled on the water, I had a relaxing paddle. I'm excited to look beyond the "end of my kayak" and experience the environment around me.

Awesome view from my kayak

Kayaking with Robin

Excited for adventure,

Cassandra