West Haven, Conn., May 22, 2007 - For years, Milford resident Marla Cofrancesco considered a career as a registered dietician. But, weighing more than 300 pounds, she promptly dismissed the idea for fear of being laughed at for counseling others on how to eat properly. Though she knew a great deal about nutrition, Cofrancesco, like so many others, struggled with her weight for years. Finally, after undergoing gastric-bypass surgery, she met Jen Spitzer, a University of New Haven alumna and registered dietician at Bridgeport Hospital, who coached her on how to maintain her new lifestyle, and, instead of laughing at Confrancesco, encouraged her to pursue her dream.
Little more than two years after her surgery, and seventeen months after beginning her studies at the University of New Haven, Cofrancesco has completed all of the academic requirements for becoming a registered dietician and is preparing for an internship. Her ultimate career goal? "To counsel others so they do not have to go through the struggle that I went through," Cofrancesco says.
Georgia Chavent, M.S., R.D., CD/N, director of the University of New Haven Nutrition and Dietetics Program, says Cofrancesco's story has been so inspirational to those in her department that she was nominated for, and received, the first "Eat Healthy, Promote Wellness" endowed scholarship. "Most people don't realize the process for becoming a registered dietitian and the level of education, and supervised practice it requires," says Chavent. "It takes a truly committed and passionate individual to complete these requirements."
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