From Intern to Health and Nutrition Communications Officer: My journey with Think Through Nutrition

I am excited to start my new position as Health and Nutrition Communications Officer at Think Through Nutrition (TTN). This role is a culmination of a journey that started with a profound interest in nutrition shaped by diverse experiences across different continents.

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Early inspiration

My interest in nutrition did not begin in a traditional classroom setting. After graduating high school in Germany, I travelled to the Gold Coast in Australia to work as an Au Pair. As an active person, I have always been interested in maintaining a diet that fuels my active lifestyle.

However, during my role looking after three children of varying developmental stages, the crucial link between the right food and their development, energy levels and overall health, became increasingly evident to me. Moreover, I was fascinated by the learned eating behaviours and cultural differences I was observing in the family and the children. This curiosity shaped my decision to study Nutrition at university, which I commenced in 2020 in Scotland.

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Academic and volunteering experience

My Bachelor’s programme at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh laid the groundwork in understanding the science behind nutrition and helped me to form my curiosity into a distinguished career path. The pandemic, while challenging, allowed me to really focus on my studies and my ambitions. During this time, I began volunteering, which opened my eyes to the practical impact of nutritional knowledge on people’s lives. My first volunteering role was for Starcatchers, an Early Years Arts and Creative Development charity, where I designed nutrition resources and even organised a food education event for the children and parents. The imaginative approach to learning that Starcatchers advocates for opened my eyes to the world of behavioural sciences. 

Following this, I started Know You More’s BuildUp programme, an EMCC accredited coaching skills training for young adults. This experience further ignited my passion for studying the link between nutrition and behaviour. 

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Joining Think Through Nutrition

When one of my third-year modules required a volunteering placement, I discovered Think Through Nutrition and their inspiring work. The placement allowed me to engage directly with research and community programmes aimed at improving public health through better eating habits. This insight into different projects fostered my curiosity for health and nutrition communications and taught me the importance of adapting language, tone and writing style to cater to different audiences.

Growth and recognition

Each step in my development was guided by Tahani Saridar, TTN’s CEO, as my mentor. Tahani continuously challenged and expanded my understanding of the link between nutrition and brain health, as well as the work and development of a charity.

As a result of the positive experience of the placement, TTN has since expanded its network of volunteers and interns from two in 2023 to five in 2024 and has been a truly inspiring facilitator of these experiences. This dedication received well-deserved recognition with the receipt of the Queen Margaret University and Santander Universities’s joint  “Work Experience Host Organisation of the Year 2024” award.

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Conclusion

As I take on my new role, I see it as a natural progression of my previous experiences—a chance to use my skills to contribute to an organisation that values nutrition as a catalyst for health improvement. At TTN, I will be working to demystify the complexities of nutrition science for the public, helping translate academic research into practical, actionable advice.

Here’s to new beginnings and the stories yet to be told.