Danielle Barrett
Danielle Barrett has found a rewarding career teaching people that they can eat healthy and it will still taste delicious. After completing two degrees at UK, a bachelor’s in dietetics and master’s in dietetics administration, she started her career as an agent with the UK Cooperative Extension Service. One of her favorite experiences in this role was sharing Plate It Up Kentucky Proud recipes – a product she helped develop as a student – with community members.
“When I provided Plate it Up Kentucky Proud recipe samples at Farmers Markets, my favorite response was hearing people say they could make the recipe at home,” said Barrett. “Often children would return the following week and tell me about how they made a recipe with their parents.”
As a student at UK, she collaborated with faculty to conduct research on the Plate it Up Kentucky Proud program and had an opportunity to present her work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. In addition to research, Barrett worked closely with faculty to determine her career plan and build connections in the field.
“I am very grateful for my professors who helped me get to where I am by serving as mentors,” said Barrett. “I feel very blessed to have maintained connections with many of the faculty at UK.”
Barrett has moved from UK Extension to a national role where she designs curriculum and leads trainings for the Institute of Child Nutrition, part of the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Mississippi. She continues to teach people how to make healthy food taste great, and most recently developed a sodium reduction curriculum that uses salt alternatives to add flavor to recipes.
Barrett hopes future dietitians find a fulfilling career like she has, and she shares some advice for incoming freshmen.
“Do not be afraid to talk to your professors and ask them to help you get a shadowing experience and make connections,” said Barrett. “Many of my connections came from guest lecturers and people working in the field who faculty connected me with to understand what the real world looks like.”