Stephany JohnsonStephany Johnson is a dietetic intern for Virginia Tech, class of 2016.  She is honoring one of her preceptors who made a difference!

“During my time as a dietetic intern at Virginia Tech, I was able to receive mentoring from many dietitians.  I had the opportunity to work with Amanda Mellowspring, MS, RD/N, CEDRD as part of my community rotation.  Having an interest in working with individuals struggling with eating disorders ever since I decided to become a registered dietitian, I was beyond fortunate to learn from someone with as much experience as Amanda.

During my time with Amanda, I was able to expand my knowledge of eating disorders by observing how Amanda works with individuals in an intensive outpatient setting.  Having such a large amount of experience and passion, I believe Amanda has superb counseling skills that positively impact individuals as they move closer and closer to recovery.

Outside of group therapy, Amanda was always willing to answer any questions I had, as well as share her knowledge about eating disorders with me.  In my opinion, eating disorders are a very debilitating disease that is often undiagnosed and misunderstood by many professionals.  Having individuals, like Amanda, that are willing to share their knowledge, and be preceptors for future dietitians gives great hope that eating disorders will be better understood by dietitians and other professionals as they move into their careers.

With my dietetic internship coming to an end, I am more than thankful that Amanda was willing to be my preceptor so that I could expand my knowledge about various eating disorders.  Not only did my knowledge about eating disorders increase, but my passion increased as well.  With that being said, I am excited to continue developing my knowledge of eating disorders by working as a registered dietitian at Rosewood Ranch Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

I hope that with the knowledge and experience I have gained from working with Amanda, I will be able to positively impact those struggling with eating disorders so that they may reach recovery and peace.”