Transferring into LFS: A Dietitian’s Story

About

Name	Eleah Stringer
Title	Clinical and Research Dietitian
Company	BC Cancer
Grad year	2013
Program	Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health
Major	Dietetics

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Eleah is an award winning dietitian who found a strong sense of belonging and community as a transfer student to the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS). She values her time in LFS because it gave her the opportunity to explore her passion for human nutrition. Through Dietetics, Eleah was able to combine her classroom learning with meaningful experiences that enabled her to develop the skills that continue to shape her professional success. Her story highlights the power of mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the courage to pursue what truly inspires you.

What do you enjoy most about being a part of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems?

What I enjoyed most about LFS was the strong sense of community. From my first day attending Imagine UBC, I felt I had found my home on campus. I actually still remember the song that was played at the Imagine UBC pep rally that day. When I play it today, I’m still hit with a swell of emotion as it was one of the most inspirational moments of my life. 

Looking back at your LFS degree, what do you think you learned that sets you apart from your peers as you look ahead to the next chapter? 

I learned its okay to follow your interests and change directions in your career. I started university for social work but didn’t feel connected to or inspired by my studies until I transferred to nutrition in LFS. In LFS, I spent time exploring interests through electives, volunteer opportunities, employment, and mentorship. I continue to apply this same exploratory approach to my current career which is how I transitioned my primarily clinical role to a more research-focused career. In my clinical work, I began to realize that while there is a lot we DO know about human nutrition, there is still so much we DO NOT know. My curious brain gets going as I see this as an opportunity. As dietitians, we are well positioned to identify research questions that can make meaningful contributions not only to nutritional science, but also to the health and well-being of our community. 

What was the most challenging class or project you undertook, and how did you overcome it? 

The greatest challenge I came across was during my dietetics internship. I had a placement in outpatient nutrition that I didn’t pass. This was my first time not meeting expectations and I was devastated! A mentor came along. They believed in me, saw my strengths, and helped me overcome my weaknesses. I now work exclusively in an outpatient setting so I’m so grateful for their support, which shaped my career trajectory. 

What was your first job after graduation and where else were you able to work with your degree?

I finished my dietetics internship with Island Health on a Friday, and started working as an acute care dietitian the following Monday! I was very fortunate to find awesome employment immediately upon graduating. After 2 years at Island Health, I was head hunted by BC Cancer as they remembered me from my student research project I did with them. I accepted their offer and haven’t looked back! Having being affected by cancer in my close family and friends, it’s a patient group who are very close to my heart. Prior to dietetics I worked in the natural health industry and in health promotion with the BC government. 

Are there any awards and achievements you’d like to share?

The achievement I’m most proud of is being selected for the Health Professional-Investigator Award from Michael Smith Health Research BC with joint funding from the Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation in 2021.

To my understanding, I am the first dietitian to hold this award, so it’s particularly meaningful. To me, this award represents an investment in front-line, allied health clinician researchers and validates the need to address complex, real-world problems through an interdisciplinary lens. It’s through truly collaborative, patient-oriented, and translational methodologies that we can maximize the impact of our research. This award allows me to advocate and strive towards increasing the capacity of other allied health clinicians to actively engage in research. I’m very grateful for this opportunity! 

Now that you are established in your career, what advice would you give to your past self or a current LFS student?  

I would encourage my past self and current LFS students to step outside of their comfort zone and meet as many people – professors, fellow students, researchers, professionals – as possible. As cliche as it is, it’s not always just WHAT you know but WHO you know that can make a difference in your career. This is why programs, such as the UBC LFS Mentorship Program, are so important.