by Purdue Nutrition Education Program Advisor
Submitted by Marcia Sweet
Tiffany is one the Purdue Nutrition Education Programs newest team members. Almost eight months ago, Tiffany brought her concern for people and passion for nutrition and wellness to NEP. In that short period of time, she has impacted the lives of dozens of her students. If you want to bring a NEP Advisor like Tiffany to your agency, please contact us at fnp@purdue.edu.
Get to know Tiffany:
What areas/counties do you serve?
“Vanderburgh and Posey Counties”
What group do you most often work with?
“Since January 2022, I have had the opportunity to work with children, adults, and older adults. As a newer NEPA, I do not want to limit myself to working with just one age group; therefore, I have tried to recruit all ages.”
What is your favorite part about being a NEPA?
“My favorite parts about being a NEPA are being able to share my love for food and nutrition with others and hearing the positive feedback from participants. When a child runs up and asks for a hug after a lesson or an older adult (who uses a walker) walks from home in a downpour because they didn’t want to miss the lesson – you know you have made an impact in some way and that’s a great feeling.”
Do you have a success story you would like to share?
“In February 2022, I provided a four-week series to older adults at a local community organization in Vanderburgh County. One of the goals of the curriculum is to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. To help them achieve this goal, I provided full food demonstrations at each lesson to show participants how to prepare and cook different recipes.
While the participants said they enjoyed all the recipes, two seemed to be crowd favorites – Burrito Soup and Berry and Greens Smoothies. While I was preparing the Burrito Soup, one participant said they did not like black beans but would be willing to try it. She did and could not believe she did not taste the black beans (and even came back for a second helping)! The same thing happened with the Berry and Greens Smoothies – she could not taste the spinach. She continued talking about both recipes the remainder of the series and made sure to share her experience with participants who had missed out.”
What are some of your personal interests?
“I enjoy being active and spending time outdoors with my family – hiking, kayaking, and playing sports. One of our goals for this year is to go camping and explore more state parks.”
