Category: Health Behavior & Nutrition Sciences
CHS Class of 2025 Spotlight: HBNS
May 22, 2025 Written by Amy Cherry | Photos by Ashley Barnas Larrimore
We're honoring the Class of 2025 by spotlighting some of the best and brightest graduates from the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences:
Eve Doyle
Honors nutrition and dietetics major
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Exciting. Fulfilling. Engaging.
Why Eve chose UD:
"I picked UD because I loved the campus, the atmosphere, and the school spirit, and they have so many experiences and resources associated with my major."
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
“I toured UD when I was a freshman in high school, and my brother was a junior looking at colleges. We came to a Blue and Golden event, and everyone was cheering, and the atmosphere made me really want to come here.”
Why did you choose your major?
"I was looking at UD’s resources, and the Nutrition Clinic caught my eye. I also love to cook and am very interested in using nutrition for clinical dietetics."
Post-graduation plans:
"I am staying at UD. I’m enrolled in the 4+1 BS/MS in human nutrition program. I’m excited to spend more time with my professors. After I obtain my master’s degree, I hope to work as a registered dietitian locally, potentially at Nemours Children’s Health.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
“My professors have been so supportive in guiding me down the right path; all of them have had my best interests at heart. I volunteered in UD’s Nutrition Clinic, where I learned how to enter diet records and work with patients.”
Favorite academic experience:
“I had a class called Nutrition Counseling, and it involved healthcare theatre, where we acted out a real clinical scenario with a nursing student. That was so interesting from a clinical perspective. I don’t know many schools with hands-on learning experiences like that.”
Favorite non-academic experience:
'During my sophomore year, I served as a Munson Fellow for the Honors College. I provided academic and emotional support to 30 assigned mentees. It’s a hard transition to go from high school to college, so being there to help guide them, get them out of their comfort zone, and just be a friend for them was very rewarding."
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“I am so proud to be a Blue Hen and be a part of such a supportive and welcoming community! Roll hens!!”
Emily Gallo
Health behavior science major | Psychology minor
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Challenging. Rewarding. Memorable.
Why Emily chose UD:
“For the longest time, I felt like I needed to go somewhere else. But after COVID, I realized I felt comfortable being closer to home and liked having support from friends and family, which secured my decision."
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
"My parents went to UD—they’re Double Dels! They walked me around campus and showed me all of the places they remembered and shared their memories. My dad carved his name on Old College, and they have a brick on the path to Old College. I could tell how much they loved it, and I knew I couldn’t go wrong going here.”
Why did you choose your major?
“I always knew I wanted to do something health-related and was torn between nutrition and nursing. I chose health behavior science because it covered everything I was interested in, and there are so many paths you can take."
Post-graduation plans:
“My next stop is Thomas Jefferson University’s accelerated nursing program. I’m really excited about that. I did my practicum experience shadowing nurses with the Nurse Family Partnership, which sealed the deal; I loved how they interacted with the patients.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
“Nearly all of the classes I needed as prerequisites for the accelerated nursing program were part of the health behavior science major.”
Favorite academic experience:
I had some great classes, one of which was Introduction to Adapted Physical Activity, where we worked with kids with disabilities. It was an incredibly rewarding experience that I'd never had before. It was really fun. We’d play in Little Bob with them or swim with them. I’ll always remember that class because I always looked forward to it. It was very rewarding overall.
"It changed so much for me about my preconceived ideas and biases. They were kids who just wanted to have fun, and it was so awesome to give them that experience.”
Favorite non-academic experience:
"I made such amazing friendships that I never expected."
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“Being a Blue Hen means being a part of a family. There are so many people in this community who will be there for you.”
Leslie Loja
Health behavior science major | Medical diagnostics minor | First-generation college student
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Enlightening. Empowering. Transformative.
Why Leslie chose UD:
"I’m from central Pennsylvania, and I wanted a different environment in a different state, and I was interested in UD’s offerings."
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
“The campus was beautiful. I loved the Green and the suburban feeling. It felt like a bigger version of my hometown.”
Why did you choose your major?
“I chose health behavior science because it offers hands-on experiences. Health behavior science was a great way for me to learn about different populations, including people with intellectual disabilities.”
Post-graduation plans:
“I plan to return home to Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and work as a medical assistant to get patient contact hours before applying to physician assistant school.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
"My advisor helped me select the courses I needed to attend PA school. Faculty in the Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences have also been so helpful."
Favorite academic experience:
Being a part of Chi Upsilon Sigma. “We recently had our regional conference, and our chapter was recognized for having the highest GPA in our region. To me, academically, that was very rewarding.”
Favorite non-academic experience:
Living with my friends at the Courtyard Apartments. “From meeting each other on day one and attending RSO HOLA to becoming roommates in an apartment together, the path from freshman to senior year has been truly rewarding.
"I also volunteered at Nemours Children’s Hospital through Project Sunshine."
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“Being a Blue Hen means having a home away from home, where you’re part of a larger community while also finding smaller, supportive sub-communities. It’s about pride in our school, showing respect for one another, and upholding integrity in everything we do. It’s a place where everyone belongs and can thrive."
Zenas Okero
Honors nutrition and medical sciences major | Public health minor | CHS Student Advisory Board member | First-generation college student
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Challenging. Exciting. Fulfilling.
Why Zenas chose UD:
“I did a dual enrollment/pipeline program where I took Nutrition Concepts while at Newark High School, and that got me excited about the major.”
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
“There was so much excitement!”
Why did you choose your major?
“Growing up, my grandmother and mom were always health-focused. After taking the Nutrition Concepts class, I realized nutrition is a huge fundamental science and health, so I wanted to dive deeper into it.”
Post-graduation plans:
“After graduation, I will be working as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania. I hope that role will give me beneficial experience that will translate to medical school, where I plan to apply in the future.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
"UD has enabled me to immerse myself in different areas, from research to leadership positions and other extracurricular activities. All of that will translate into my role as a clinical research coordinator and will help me in the future."
Favorite academic experience:
Conducting research. "Working in the lab allowed me to grow as a person and academically. I've been able to translate what I've learned in my class, and I took what I learned in the lab and applied it to my classes. Talking to study participants has also helped me grow, and interacting with graduate and undergraduate students in the lab has taught me a lot about working as a team."
Favorite non-academic experience:
“My favorite experience was going on a service learning trip to Ecuador through MEDLIFE during Winter Session of my first year at UD. The trip included shadowing physicians and working in mobile clinics. This was so exciting because I interacted with students from other schools and different populations. I immersed myself in a different culture and learned from them, but the experience also helped me understand the realities of healthcare in rural populations.”
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“Being a Blue Hen means being part of a collaborative community that fosters both personal and academic growth, which empowered me to make a positive difference in my community and beyond.”
Jillian Orellano
Health behavior science major | Public health and global health minors
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Memorable. Growth. Enjoyable.
Why Jillian chose UD:
"I wanted to come to a big school and experience different majors and more diversity."
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
“At the official start of the semester, I remember feeling so excited because everyone was moving into the dorms. I felt immediately part of a community. It’s such a beautiful school, and I felt so lucky to be there.”
Why did you choose your major?
"I knew I wanted to work in a helping profession. My mom’s a social worker, and my sister is in psychology. I found health behavior science, and it seemed like a happy medium.
Post-graduation plans:
“I hope to get a job, focused on my minors in global and public health, to make systemic changes in healthcare. I am passionate about health disparities.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
“UD has given me so many opportunities in health, working with students and different groups of people, which have given me a glimpse into what my future career looks like.
"I did research on campus, worked at Student Health, and the Wellness Center in Warner Hall. UD also connected me to my internship with the Delaware Office of Homeland Security, where I work in health and safety for their medical marijuana program.”
Favorite academic experience:
“My favorite academic experience was creating a health promotion program in my capstone class, where I went into a community, identified a real problem, and worked to find a solution. We addressed hypertension among African-American women in Wilmington.”
Favorite non-academic experience:
I am in a gender-inclusive fraternity on campus Phi Sigma Pi – that’s the first group I joined when I got to UD. It’s how I made a lot of my friends and learned about the health behavior science major.
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“Being a Blue Hen means being part of a community that’s much larger than yourself.”
Cayden Smalls
Nutrition major
Three words to describe the UD CHS experience:
Transformative. Valuable. Supportive.
Why Cayden chose UD:
“I am a huge advocate for health and fitness, and UD’s programs in that area stood out to me.”
How it felt to step foot on campus for the first time:
“I was overwhelmed at first, but it felt like home because I’m familiar with the area, so I adapted quickly.”
Why did you choose your major?
“Health, fitness, and wellness are a big part of my life and my daily routine. Nutrition plays a big part in your progress, and I wanted to learn more about that.”
Post-graduation plans:
“I plan to apply to UD’s Health Coaching Certificate Program and start classes in the fall. I also plan to become certified as a personal trainer and hope to work in a hospital as a health coach, helping people with nutrition, sleep, fitness, mental health, and injury recovery.”
How did UD prepare you for your future career?
“UD has helped prepare me professionally for my career. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to volunteer, and my classwork has really helped prepare me.”
Favorite academic experience:
"I volunteered in performance nutrition at the Whitney Athletic Center. I got to participate in a cooking demonstration with women’s soccer, and it was nice to demonstrate cooking methods and give nutrition advice to Division I athletes. The experience improved my communication skills."
Favorite non-academic experience:
Being a part of the Club Men's Crew team. “I started my junior year, and my favorite memory was when our team got second place at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta in the Freshman/Novice 8+ event. It was really special to me. I didn’t expect to get a medal.”
What does being a Blue Hen mean to you?
“Being a Blue Hen means resilience, growth, and community. UD has pushed me to grow and given me a strong support system, shaping me into who I am today.”
