CSB graduate receives statewide award in dietetics

A College of Saint Benedict graduate recently took home one of the highest student honors for her major in the state.

Sharon Quamber ’19 was named “Dietetics Student of the Year” at the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) Conference April 25 in Bloomington. She was nominated for the award by CSB and Saint John’s University dietetic faculty. CSB/SJU, four other colleges in Minnesota that have a dietetics program, as well as North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota can nominate students for the honor.

MAND is the largest professional association of nutrition health professionals in Minnesota. It includes 1,600 members who work and study in numerous areas involving nutritional health across the state.

The CSB/SJU Nutrition Department has a history of students winning this award. In the past 12 years, CSB/SJU students have been chosen as the “Dietetics Student of the Year” nine times: Kaitlin Carr (2007), Lindsey Tucker (2009), Alison Galzki (2010), Kristina DeMuth (2011), Michael Schmit (2012), Tessa Lasswell (2015), Jennie Xiong (2017), Hosanna Fortmeyer (2018) and now Quamber.

An international student from Kingston, Jamaica, Quamber earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in nutrition with a concentration in dietetics from CSB.

“My love for nutrition/dietetics began when I was a kid growing up in Jamaica. I was surrounded by amazing food, culture and people which made me curious about how food can impact our health and quality of life,” Quamber recalled.

“Sharon is a hard worker,” noted Dr. Emily Heying, assistant professor of nutrition at CSB and Saint John’s University and Quamber’s faculty adviser. “She has performed well academically in her courses and was very organized and thorough when completing her research project. She went above and beyond most students and is very deserving of the award.”

In addition to receiving the award, Quamber presented her research project, “The Effect of a Soluble Fiber Supplemented Breakfast on Satiety in CSB/SJU Faculty and Staff,” at the conference.

Seven more 2019 CSB graduates also attended the conference and presented their research, including:

Emma Backes, “Food Security Status Impacts Perceived Stress in College Students”
Marissa Eckrich, “Fat and Sugar Preferences in Greek Yogurt Amongst College Students”
Sade Lockhart-Bain, “Sleep and Stress in Relation to Physical Activity at CSB/SJU”
Moko Matsumoto, “International Students are Susceptible to Negative Changes in Dietary Patterns”
Meg Rynda, “Caffeine Supplemented Beverages Increases Alertness but not Cognitive Abilities in College-Aged Students”
Estee Sieben, “Kombucha Knowledge, Preferences, and Consumption Habits in College-Aged Students”
Ivy Tran, “The Prevalence of the Gluten-Free Diet and Influencing Factors in College Students”
These projects were done as part of Heying’s health and nutrition research seminar classes, where students develop a research project in the field, collect data and then write and present their findings.

“Now that I have graduated, I can honestly say that going to CSB/SJU was the best decision I made for me. The Nutrition Department faculty goes above and beyond to make each one’s academic experience meaningful and worthwhile,” Quamber said.

Quamber is continuing her education in the field and is pursuing her master’s degree at St. Louis University. She will also be completing her dietetic internship with a concentration in pediatrics.

“I am so thankful for the guidance, support and mentorship I have received by our faculty members. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today without them,” she said.