Driven by empathy

Addie Sholar developed an eating disorder at 14 years old. At 18, she sought treatment and connected with a therapist, who helped her begin her six-year journey to recovery. She also received support from several dietitians to learn how to correct her restrictive eating habits.

Now, at age 24, Sholar considers herself to be fully recovered. Her experience has fueled her to pursue a career in dietetics, which she is working toward as a graduate student in the University of Cincinnati’s Accelerated Dietitian Nutritionist (ADN) program.

Five years into her academic pursuit, Sholar’s hard work and passion for dietetics is gaining recognition. In April, she received the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award from the Ohio Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics—as one of only three students to be recognized statewide this year. 

Sholar began her academic career at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in the fall of 2018. At the time, she had just started meeting with a therapist and dietitian for her eating disorder. Though Sholar was met with resistance about her choice to enter the field of nutrition and dietetics, she persisted anyway, earning her associate degree in dietetic technology and graduating at the top of her class in the summer of 2020.

“I always knew I wanted to study nutrition for the right reasons; I wanted to help people,” Sholar says. “Even though I was dealing with my own eating disorder, I was able to center myself in my values. I knew I had to work through it and heal to be able to provide the best care for my future clients. When things got particularly tough and I struggled to maintain motivation for recovery, I would remind myself to do it for the people that I’d help in the future.”

Sholar gained a couple hundred hours of internship experience during her time at Cincinnati State, working at UC Health's Daniel Drake Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Otterbein SeniorLife, Mercy Health – West Hospital and West Clermont City Schools.

Recognized for her outstanding GPA, Sholar received a UC Transfer Ambassador Scholarship when she transferred to the College of Allied Health Sciences’ ADN program in the fall of 2021. Over the next two years, Sholar would make the Dean’s list, maintain a part-time job and complete her community rotation working as a nutrition intern at Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

"Addie has always excelled academically, but I’ve witnessed her become more and more excited about what she’s learning over the years,” says Lindsey Mills, PhD, undergraduate program director and associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, who has taught several of Sholar’s classes and served as her mentor. “Her face lights up when talking about macronutrient metabolism, which is a sure sign she’s destined to be a registered dietitian.”

Based on her academic achievement, professional service record and interpersonal skills, Sholar was unanimously selected by UC’s nutrition faculty for the nutrition lead position at the new student-run Interprofessional Community Clinic. The clinic, which the college launched last fall in partnership with Kroger Health, aims to provide free holistic health services to underinsured and noninsured community members. Sholar and five faculty-picked student leaders from other allied health professions have spent the past two semesters helping establish standard operating procedures and seeing mock patients.

“Addie brings much well-rounded directed practice experience into the clinic operations from her training as a dietetic technician,” says Sarah Couch, PhD, the clinic’s nutrition faculty supervisor and a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. “She has been the respectful student voice for the clinic operations, even speaking on their behalf at the opening ceremony last semester. Addie has done an outstanding job helping set up standard operating procedures, develop assessment practices and select counseling materials for the clinic, as well as successfully carry out mock patient visits as we gear up to take on our first patients.”