Mieke Brink
Nutritional Sciences
Welcoming environment helped South Africa native explore her passion
- Hometown
Athens
- Major/minor
Dietetics
- Activities/Honors
- Graduating Summa Cum Laude
- FACS Featured Graduate (Spring 2025)
- Phi Upsilon Omicron member – FACS Honor Society (Spring 2024)
- UGA Presidential Scholar (Spring 2023; Fall 2023)
- UGA Dean’s List (Fall 2024)
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics member (August 2024 – present)
- Student Dietetic Association member (August 2023 – present)
- Dietetics Practicum Student at Piedmont Athens Regional (Fall 2024)
- Peer Learning Assistant for Anatomy and Physiology I (Fall 2023)
- Our Daily Bread volunteer (2021 – Current)
- Undergraduate Researcher of chemical recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate at the University of North Georgia (Fall 2022)
- Why I chose my major
I have always loved food for the way it brings joy and connection – it is a vital part of the culture in my native South Africa. My family was always quite health-conscious, and as I grew older, I became curious about the connection between food and health. This led me to explore career options in nutrition. After graduating from high school and moving to the United States, I took an online nutrition course. During this course, I learned about the difference between nutritionists and dietitians and decided to pursue the registered dietitian credential. Everyone deserves to have access to the knowledge, skills, and social support needed to make healthy choices for themselves and their family. The part of my field I enjoy most is explaining nutrition and simplifying it for people. Small, sustainable changes can significantly impact one’s long-term health. This is the message I want to carry into my future practice as I utilize evidence-based approaches to provide weight-inclusive care and work in nutrition nonprofits and policy.
- What I like most about FACS
From my first day on campus, FACS has been an inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring place. I love how tight-knit the department is and how the faculty and staff work tirelessly to provide students with everything they need to thrive. FACS offers endless opportunities to get involved in student organizations and leadership at the university and gain real-world experience through opportunities like FACS Extension and the Legislative Aide program. I am genuinely proud of our department and will always recommend FACS for its incredible education, wonderful people, and the best preparation for life after college.
- Post-graduation plans
I will be completing my master’s in Community Nutrition online through the University of Georgia and working part-time. I will begin applying to dietetic internships in the fall and continue working toward becoming a registered dietitian. I am also getting married in July and moving to New Mexico, where my fiancé is working toward his doctorate.
