Particia Kolesa (SEBS’19) during her undergraduate years as a Nutritional Sciences major.
Patricia Kolesa, MS, RDN, graduated from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) in 2019 with a degree in Nutrition Sciences on the dietetics track, and minors in Biology and Psychology. After completing her undergraduate degree, she earned her master’s degree in Sports Nutrition and Entrepreneurship from Simmons University and her dietitian’s license in 2020, after which she started working as a dietitian at Old Bridge Medical Center under Hackensack Meridian Health.
Patricia also has her own business called Dietitian Dish, where she helps working adults on their nutrition journey, offering one-on-one nutrition counseling, cooking demonstrations, and wellness challenges. Patricia has given nutritional insight and advice to major media networks, such as Food Network, Yahoo, and Business Insider.
Patricia Kolesa at 2019 SEBS Convocation.
Patricia’s decision to start Dietitian Dish was grounded in her desire to reach a larger audience interested in kickstarting their health journey: “I work in a small hospital at the moment, so it’s very difficult to have extensive conversations with people. Just by being in the media, I get to reach people I normally wouldn’t reach. Also, today’s nutrition information can be very confusing and overwhelming, so my background and online presence the assurance that nutrition should be a positive experience rather than confusing and overwhelming.”
While at Rutgers, Patricia was the president and vice president of the club swim team and tour guide for the SEBS Ambassadors. She also worked for Rutgers Sports Nutrition which led her to an opportunity as an intern for the United States Rowing Team. She says she always credits that connection she made at Rutgers for getting her to this point in her nutrition career. As a college student, Patricia appreciated that SEBS was a small community within a large campus, which she says is what drew her to the school. Her favorite aspects of her involvement at Rutgers are the friendships she made and the leadership skills she acquired through her time on the club swim team and as a SEBS Ambassador.
Patricia’s advice to students is to keep an open mind: “Be persistent in everything that you do, even if that means feeling uncomfortable at times. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, speak up for what you believe in, network with others, or learn something totally new. I think what helped me at Rutgers and now in my career is constantly stepping up to challenges and pushing myself past any doubts or discomfort I may feel.”
