SU Dietetic Interns 2021 - 2022
Melissa Goddeau
Melissa Goddeau is a current dietetic intern at Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College. Melissa resides in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. with her husband and two kids. Originally from Rochester, Melissa went to Ithaca College to pursue her first degree in physics and later enrolled in RIT for engineering. During this time, she also swam division three at RIT. As Melissa stated, being a mechanical engineer wasn’t fulfilling enough, she decided to go back to RIT and Finger Lakes Community College to finish DPD courses which made her eligible for the internship. Melissa’s interest in nutrition came from being diagnosed with celiac disease. As a future RDN, she is fascinated by the science of food and what it has to offer to heal and grow. Upon completing her internship and taking the exam, Melissa is looking forward to working with mothers and babies. In her free time, she likes to spend it with her husband, 2-year-old and she just had another baby (5 months old), congrats! Also worth mentioning, Melissa and her husband have already created emails for their sons, so they don’t have to worry about the usernames being taken. Melissa is an excellent friend, mother, dietetic intern and soon to be a future RDN.
Daniella Popa
Daniella Popa is a current dietetic intern at Syracuse University. She is originally from Miami, Florida, but she lived in Israel for about five to seven years during her youth. After moving back to the United States, she lived in Indiana for her middle school and high school years. She attended Syracuse University for 2 years and then moved to Maryland, where she finished out her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics via the University of Alabama’s distance learning program. She became interested in nutrition because she has always had a strong passion for her own health and wellness. Her mother also went through Syracuse University’s Dietetic Internship Program, so that is how she connected with the University for her own internship. One of Daniella’s goals is to pass the RD exam after completing her dietetic internship. Another goal she has is to integrate her skills as a dietitian with medicine as she pursues a future career as a physician. She really enjoys going to the gym in her spare time and she also enjoys socializing with people. A fun fact about Daniella is that she lived overseas, and English is not her first language. Her first two languages were Hebrew and Romanian.
Kate O’Shea
Kate O’Shea is an enthusiastic dietetic intern. She grew up in Rochester, New York, and has spent almost all her life here. She came to Syracuse in 2017 to be on campus for freshman year and since then has been traveling back and forth between Rochester and Syracuse. Kate’s compassionate personality and her love for healthful eating and advocacy motivated her to complete her bachelor’s in nutrition from Syracuse University in 2021. Her journey to become a dietitian has been influenced by personal events; her mother’s diagnosis with gestational diabetes and later her battle with type 2 diabetes, along with her best friend’s diagnoses with type 1 diabetes in the same year, helped shape her interests towards becoming a registered dietitian at a very young age. Ever since then, she has been exposed to diabetic diets and has been an advocate for healthy eating. Right after finishing up her internship, Kate wants to pass her RD exam and start her nutritional career as an RD in the health care profession. She is a very active person and loves to work out at the gym or do yoga in her spare time. She frequently visits her family’s lake house at finger lake and loves to unwind and enjoy the outdoors. She is indeed very excited to continue her nutrition education at Syracuse University and one day be able to empower others with better health-oriented decisions through her profession.
Michaela Sheedy
Michaela Sheedy was born in Colorado, however, has spent most of her life living in Naples, New York. Michaela started her college career at Finger Lakes Community College where she got her associates degree in nutrition and dietetics. After graduating from FLCC she transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology where she continued her education in dietetics and nutrition. In May 2021, Michaela graduated from RIT with her bachelors in dietetics and nutrition. Michaela became interested in nutrition when she realized a lot of her family’s health conditions could have been prevented / improved with proper nutrition. In the future, Michaela hopes to continue her education and receive a master’s degree in mental health counseling. She also hopes to own her own private practice one day specializing in counseling. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Paul Eom
Meet Paul Eom, one of the Syracuse University dietetic interns for the 2021-2022 academic year! Paul was born in Seoul, Korea but has moved several times and lived in many different places in the United States. He received his Associate and Bachelor of Science degrees from Johnson & Wales in culinary arts and culinary nutrition, respectively. Due to his culinary background, Paul worked as a chef during college which allowed him to meet a colleague who introduced him to pursuing his career as a registered dietitian. Paul’s interest in nutrition also stems from his role as a former athlete who played football and baseball. After the Syracuse University dietetic internship, Paul has a goal of passing the RD exam and eventually working as a sports dietitian. In his free time, Paul enjoys working out at the gym. He is excited to expand on his knowledge of nutrition and dietetics throughout each of his rotations this year and already knows how appreciative he will be of all the opportunities that come his way. The Syracuse University dietetic internship was his top choice, and he is eager to represent the program well.
Sophie Gertz
Sophie Gertz spent most of her life growing up in Northbrook, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. Sophie moved to Syracuse in 2017 to begin her academic degree in nutrition. Originally, Sophie’s interest started out in exercise science with a goal of becoming a physical or occupational therapist, but after taking NSD 225 with Professor Burrell she quickly switched paths to nutrition sciences. In hindsight, Sophie has always had an interest in nutrition, but it was not until her diagnosis with IBS as well as being diagnosed with a sesame allergy did nutrition really become a huge part of her lifestyle. Sophie expresses her creativity by modifying some of her personal favorite dishes to accommodate her dietary restrictions and posts these dishes on her own personal foodie Instagram page. Along with creating modified dishes in her free time, Sophie finds joy in baking coffee cakes and apple pies as well as cooking tofu-based dishes. As one of Syracuse University’s dietetic interns, she hopes to build a strong network among her preceptors and fellow interns building upon her current knowledge of nutrition as well as develop new skills and become a well-rounded dietitian.
Sasha Pourpezeshk
Sasha Pourpezeshk is a current dietetic intern with Syracuse University. She grew up in Syracuse and spent some time living in both Colorado and North Carolina for a short while before returning back to her hometown. Sasha earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Syracuse University in 2017. While in undergraduate school, she had the exciting opportunity of studying abroad in Florence, Italy! During that semester, Sasha had the ability to immerse herself in the Mediterranean diet and culture, expanding her horizons within the nutrition and dietetics field. Sasha’s interest in nutrition stems from her love for food and has been influenced by her mother who also majored in nutrition! Keeping up with physical health is a priority to Sasha, with dancing being her activity of choice at a young age. Over the years, she has enjoyed hiking and traveling in her spare time. Sasha has been lucky enough to travel throughout Europe, has visited family in Iran, has gone to Costa Rica, and hopes to cross off some states in the U.S. that are on her list sometime soon! When looking forward, Sasha is very open-minded when it comes to her career path as a registered dietitian. Something that piques her interest is combining her love for nutrition with sustainability and agriculture. Having a career working with children is another area that Sasha believes may suit her well. We wish you the best in your future endeavors, Sasha!
Shaila Chohan
Shaila Chohan is a current Syracuse University dietetic intern. Shaila spent most of her life living in Pakistan. In 2009, she completed her undergraduate degree in health sciences. After her graduation, she got a job as a cardiac anesthesiologist. She moved from Pakistan to the United States in 2013.Shaila then went on to complete her master’s in nutritional biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. Upon completion of her master’s, she was hired as a health coach. In this position, one of her responsibilities was to conduct nutrition counseling sessions, which sparked her passion and lead to her decision to finish her DPD course work at Minnesota State University and pursue a career in dietetics. Shaila’s goal after the dietetic internship is to pass the RD exam and get a job in health care. In her free time, Shaila loves to spend time with her husband and two kids. Shaila believes that her master’s degree will help her become a well-rounded dietitian and she can see the benefits to requiring a master’s degree starting in 2024.
Alexa Terry
Alexa Terry is originally from Weedsport, N.Y. and is currently residing in Auburn. Her academic path that got her to where she is today began at Cayuga Community College from 2013-2015 where she received an associate degree in humanities. During that time, she became increasingly interested in learning about health and nutrition and sought out on her own health journey where she lost 50 lb. and was inspired to further her studies at a collegiate level. From 2016-2018, Alexa attended SUNY Oswego and earned her Bachelor of Science in health and wellness management. She then focused more specifically on nutrition, and after completing her prerequisites at Cayuga Community College, she completed her DPD at Russell Sage College in 2021. Alexa also enjoys spending time hiking in nature and watching documentaries. She is fascinated by food science and how it relates to nutrition and is working on her master’s degree in nutrition science which she expects to complete in 2023 from Sage College. Alexa is excited to be part of the dietetic intern class of 2022 and is looking forward to finding her niche through the variety of experiences that she will face this year as an intern!
Emma Harwood
Emma Harwood is a Syracuse University dietetic intern that was born in Maryland. Emma has lived in many different states including Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, and New York. She has earned her Bachelor of Science in human nutrition, foods and exercise from Virginia Tech in 2021. She first became interested in nutrition due to navigating her own dietary restrictions – an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. Playing basketball in high school and college also made her aware of how proper nutrition and physical activity go hand in hand. During her dietetic internship, Emma plans to take advantage of the opportunities presented to her and get as much hands-on experience as possible. Ultimately, Emma has goals of passing the RD exam, working as a clinical dietitian, and one day owning her own private practice. She also wishes to pursue a master’s in nutrition or a master’s in business administration. Her favorite leisure time activities include hiking, working out, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Emma is excited to network with her preceptors and is a current CNYAND member.
Avital Rubinchik
Avital Rubinchik is a Syracuse native, but spent most of her childhood in Tenafly, New Jersey, just north of New York City. Although initially interested in medical school, Avital decided to pursue a double major in health policy administration and nutrition and dietetics at Penn State, which she completed in May and December of 2020 respectively. Combining these areas of studies has helped Avital explore different perspectives in the clinical setting and she looks forward her public policy rotation next semester. While completing her dietetic internship at Syracuse University, Avital is continuing to earn her Master of Professional Studies in nutritional sciences, which she plans to complete in December 2022. Following completion of the SU DI program, Avital will take the RD exam and is interested in starting a private practice. As a classmate, Avital keeps things light with a dry sense of humor that fuels bursts of laughter at least once every class period. When she’s not studying, Avital spends time with friends, goes on walks, and loves all cuisines of food. Fun fact on Avital: she speaks Hebrew and Romanian.
McKenna Redmore
McKenna Redmore is a Syracuse dietetic intern that grew up in Baldwinsville, N.Y. She relocated to Rochester, N.Y. to complete her undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics at Rochester Institute of Technology. McKenna was inspired to study nutrition by her childhood experience having a terminally ill father. Having the help of a dietitian would have drastically improved his quality of life and she hopes to help those in similar situations someday. Her future goals include passing the registered dietitian exam and obtaining a master’s degree. Professionally, McKenna would like to find an area of dietetics that she enjoys and create connections to make this possible through the Syracuse University dietetic internship. In her free time, McKenna enjoys cooking and spending time with friends and family.