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The mentoring program is designed to promote increased interaction between dietetics students at Kansas State University and the practicing dietitians of the Kansas Dietetic Association. The program’s goal is to foster relationships, passion for the profession, and an interest in future KDA involvement.
There are two mentoring options:
Traditional Mentoring
Practicing dietitians are paired with students based on professional interests and career goals. They will be available to answer questions and to serve as a resource for the student. If desired, they may choose to coordinate a Work Experience Project, allowing the students to gain experience in the field and expand their professional portfolio.
KDA Position Mentoring
KDA Officers are paired with students that are interested in their position within the organization. They will provide insight on serving as a leader within KDA and, more specifically, guidance for functioning in their individual role. They may also choose to coordinate Work Experience Projects.
How It Works
Interested dietitians will fill out a mentor application (see below) and submit to the website coordinator, Melissa Haug (msh6655@ksu.edu), when complete. These applications will serve as profiles on the KDA website. Students will then browse the online profiles and select a potential mentor. E-mail addresses are provided so that you may contact the person you are interested in working with individually. The pairing is not done for you so we ask that you please be proactive in making connections. We feel that if you are allowed to have a choice in your mentor selection, interests will be more readily aligned and the relationship will be more beneficial to all involved. Dietitians are allowed to mentor more than one student; however, we ask that students only commit to one mentor at a time. The commitment will last for one semester, at which time students may choose to learn from a different mentor.
KDA Mentor Application 
See profiles of members here.
Flexibility
The mentoring program is designed to be flexible in order to accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals and students. It is up to the mentor/mentee pairing to establish guidelines for their mentoring relationship for the duration of the semester. You may wish to communicate only through email as questions arise, arrange phone conversations, or even meet in person. Dietitians may also invite mentees to spend some time shadowing them in their current position or coordinate a Work Experience Project.
What is a Work Experience Project?
Dietetics students are required to submit a portfolio of Work Experience Projects prior to admission into either the Coordinated or Didactic Programs. The projects encompass all areas of dietetics practice: foodservice, community, and medical nutrition. They also must submit volunteer hours and proof of continuous learning experiences. Mentors may choose to work with their mentee to arrange completion of one of these projects, but this is not a requirement of participation in the mentoring program. Please see the following descriptions for more information.
Clinical and Community Explanation 
Foodservice Explanation
Continuous Learning Explanation
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