Having known what she wanted to do with her life before she finished high school, Grace Pastino arrived at SUNY Oneonta with a clear goal: to become a Registered Dietitian.
Pastino began her health and wellness journey at an early age by going on hikes and working out with her parents. When she was participating in high school athletics, she decided it was time to learn more about how to properly fuel her body, and she has built on that knowledge receiving her B.S. in Dietetics in 2025 and her M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics degree in 2026.
During her master’s graduation ceremony, Pastino received the 2026 Outstanding Dietetic Student of the Year Award. The award recognized Pastino for her academic success in the program. She also spent her collective 1,205-hour internship time at SarahLynn Nutrition, St. Peter’s Hospital, Fresenius Medical Care, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home & Rehabilitation, WIC at LifeWorks Community Action, and Nutrition for Optimal Performance.
After she passes the registered dietitian exam in July 2026, Pastino will begin her professional career at SarahLynn Nutrition as an outpatient dietitian. Her long-term career goals also include working for a professional sports team and opening her own private practice where she can help people with eating disorders.
Why SUNY Oneonta?
I chose SUNY Oneonta because they have one of the best Dietetics programs in New York, let alone the country. I knew I wanted to study Dietetics because I'm very into fitness and athletics. I did track in high school and cheerleading, and I didn't know what food to eat. I did my own research, and I was really interested in the aspect of how nutrition can affect the body, so I looked up what jobs can help others with the knowledge of nutrition? It was dietetics – and I want to pursue this and help others.
About the M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics Program
One of the biggest challenges of the M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics program was managing the workload alongside the internship. But once you settle in and create a routine, it becomes much more manageable. Being located outside of the Oneonta area also made communication more difficult, as most interactions with professors and classmates took place through Zoom and email. However, the professors were highly responsive and consistently provided the support and additional help needed.
The most rewarding parts of the program were building and maintaining professional connections with preceptors, other dietitians and getting clarity on the area of practice I want to pursue post-graduation.
For future students, it is very important to have confidence in your knowledge and your abilities as a future dietitian. Staying organized and managing your time effectively are key factors in this rigorous master’s program. It is also important to enjoy your internship experience as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so enjoy it and have fun!
About the B.S. Dietetics Major
We were a close group. Dietetics is known for being like a family and we help each other out. For new students, I’d say have an open mind, don't be scared to reach out to other people for help and study a lot for the major because it's really hard. Definitely study extra hard and get the textbooks.
Favorite Classes
In my senior undergraduate semester, we got deeper into the nutrition aspect. In the previous years, it was mainly science and just the basics of nutrition. I was in Advanced Nutrition with Dr. Kirsten Hilpert, which was one of my favorite classes, as well as Medical Nutrition Therapy with Dr. Emily Riddle.
I also liked the organic chemistry and biochemistry labs because they help you apply what you're learning in the lecture to the lab. The lectures and labs go hand in hand, so you learn a better perspective in the lab of what you're learning in the lecture.
My Activities
I worked at Table Rock Fitness three or four times a week. I was mainly busy with schoolwork, but working there gave me a lot of connections with other people.
Since I worked and I worked out there, I also helped people. Whenever they learned I was studying to become a registered dietician they asked me “What food should I be eating?” I gave them advice because of what I was studying, but I also let them know I wasn’t a registered dietitian yet. I helped them with some information about how we digest things and everything else.
I loved applying my undergraduate major to the real world, and I've always been so eager to get out there! Over the summer, before my senior year, I worked as an assistant to the dietitian manager at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany and was a diet clerk at St. Peter’s. Dr. Kelly Martin introduced me to the dietitian manager, and she offered me the assistant position. I worked with nutrition data, shadowed dietitians and saw patients. Two weeks into that, I was offered the diet clerk position by the food service team, taking patients' orders and sending them meals.
Best Memories
I'd say freshman year when I took Introduction to Foods. It was our first time cooking in the class. We were all in the kitchen, and we didn't know what to do. We were so stressed, but we had a lot of fun making the food every week.
Each group would make a section of the theme. We did a breakfast theme and my group made huevos rancheros. I'll never forget this. And they were so good! I told my mom about it and she was so proud of me for learning how to cook and the benefits of the food we're making and eating. Making food with my group was a really fun memory.
What I’ll Remember Most About Oneonta
Definitely the professors. They're amazing here. Also, going to events like OH-Fest every year with friends in my major and getting close to them. It was always a blast!