Personal Narrative: A Leap Above Dance

As a diet clerk at Unity Point – Meriter, one of my main roles is taking meal orders from patients via the phone, a task that can often feel automatic. At first glance, this role may not seem to have a big impact, but my experience has proven otherwise. Soon after I got hired, a patient called down to order her dinner and did not realize she had been given a renal diet order. While this may not seem like a big hurdle, this patient was already dealing with a great deal of stress due to her hospitalization. She was craving mashed potatoes, a comfort food to help her feel a little more at home. While potatoes are not compliant with this diet, I was able to spend ten minutes on the phone with the patient discussing all her options and helping her to navigate the diet order. With other patients waiting in queue, it would have been easy to rush her along and move on to the next task. However, by spending time talking to the patient, I was able bring her a little comfort during an otherwise stressful time in her life.
My passion for health and helping others took root at an early age. In middle school I spent time volunteering as an assistant teacher at my dance studio. A position that allowed me to promote a healthy …show more content…
Public speaking has always been an area that I have struggled in, but my experiences as a dance instructor have helped me to work towards overcoming this. Once a semester parents come in to observe what the children have been learning. This has provided me the opportunity to practice my public speaking skills. I have become immensely more comfortable talking in front of groups of people, as I introduce the class, give parents information on the recital, and give a recap of the semester. In addition, each week I lead a class of 15 students on my own, pushing me out of my comfort zone to help me grow as a public