To Whom It May Concern:
The reason for a student to choose a specific major, in my opinion, is because they are passionate about something and should want to change the lives of their own and others for the better. This is why I chose Nutrition and Exercise Science as my majors. Both of these aspects of a healthy lifestyle changed my life for the better and have led to my appreciation for the scientific aspect of both. There came a point in my life where I decided I wanted to optimize my life in all aspects: spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically. Even though some of these aspects are an ongoing process, I feel because of the incorporation of maintaining physical well-being through making exercise and nutrition part of my everyday lifestyle, I continually see my own progression in each of these areas. This is why I have chosen to follow a career path in the healthcare/education field; I would like to help others optimize their life in the same way if possible. The reason that I use “healthcare/education,” is because for one to be a proper health-care provider then they must be able to educate. The term “healthcare provider,” is also a term that I use with very broad meaning since I believe it covers a wide range of professions from doctors, nurses, and dietitians to professors, counselors, and trainers. All of these professions are trying to provide information to their clients, patients, or students, so that they come away with more knowledge than they previously had.
My goal is to enter a profession not for financial reasons, but for reasons that can’t really be explained except that I know that I must be part of the Nutrition field. I want to be able to educate others and conduct research that would better the lives of future generations. A step in reaching this goal is to first be accepted into a graduate program where I aim to complete the criteria necessary to obtain a Doctorate degree. In regards to my candidacy, I have been able to maintain a high GPA of 3.95 while achieving a dual degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science which relatively few have been able to do. The types of courses required to meet the criteria to graduate in both of these majors were not your so-called "easy A" courses. In regards to my nutrition coursework, I successfully completed courses such as biochemistry, organic chemistry, and energy metabolism. My exercise science coursework involved courses such as physics, applied anatomy, and exercise physiology just to name a few. My scores on the GRE are competitive and I have well over 1000 hours of work experience in the nutrition field which has allowed me to work with patients and healthcare associates. This experience working in the dietetic department of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center along with my previous history in personal training has allowed me to broaden my skill sets which is of course very beneficial.
When asked about my "Work Philosophy," I usually tell those who ask just to look at what I have accomplished thus far in my educational and professional career and judge my work ethics off of that. I know it is easy to say that you are a hardworking student who always strives for that "A" but the truth is that this is not always true, some will always just settle, so that is why I point out what I have done so far in my life, I will show anyone that I am not one of those who just settles. Being one who prides himself on not just “talking the talk,” but also “walking the walk,” I continually practice what I preach which allows people to see that I take the material taught to me and apply it to my everyday life. In short, I believe that any program that I am apart of will expand my knowledge in the nutrition field, and hopefully those apart of the program will benefit in some way from my being there.
The reason for a student to choose a specific major, in my opinion, is because they are passionate about something and should want to change the lives of their own and others for the better. This is why I chose Nutrition and Exercise Science as my majors. Both of these aspects of a healthy lifestyle changed my life for the better and have led to my appreciation for the scientific aspect of both. There came a point in my life where I decided I wanted to optimize my life in all aspects: spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically. Even though some of these aspects are an ongoing process, I feel because of the incorporation of maintaining physical well-being through making exercise and nutrition part of my everyday lifestyle, I continually see my own progression in each of these areas. This is why I have chosen to follow a career path in the healthcare/education field; I would like to help others optimize their life in the same way if possible. The reason that I use “healthcare/education,” is because for one to be a proper health-care provider then they must be able to educate. The term “healthcare provider,” is also a term that I use with very broad meaning since I believe it covers a wide range of professions from doctors, nurses, and dietitians to professors, counselors, and trainers. All of these professions are trying to provide information to their clients, patients, or students, so that they come away with more knowledge than they previously had.
My goal is to enter a profession not for financial reasons, but for reasons that can’t really be explained except that I know that I must be part of the Nutrition field. I want to be able to educate others and conduct research that would better the lives of future generations. A step in reaching this goal is to first be accepted into a graduate program where I aim to complete the criteria necessary to obtain a Doctorate degree. In regards to my candidacy, I have been able to maintain a high GPA of 3.95 while achieving a dual degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science which relatively few have been able to do. The types of courses required to meet the criteria to graduate in both of these majors were not your so-called "easy A" courses. In regards to my nutrition coursework, I successfully completed courses such as biochemistry, organic chemistry, and energy metabolism. My exercise science coursework involved courses such as physics, applied anatomy, and exercise physiology just to name a few. My scores on the GRE are competitive and I have well over 1000 hours of work experience in the nutrition field which has allowed me to work with patients and healthcare associates. This experience working in the dietetic department of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center along with my previous history in personal training has allowed me to broaden my skill sets which is of course very beneficial.
When asked about my "Work Philosophy," I usually tell those who ask just to look at what I have accomplished thus far in my educational and professional career and judge my work ethics off of that. I know it is easy to say that you are a hardworking student who always strives for that "A" but the truth is that this is not always true, some will always just settle, so that is why I point out what I have done so far in my life, I will show anyone that I am not one of those who just settles. Being one who prides himself on not just “talking the talk,” but also “walking the walk,” I continually practice what I preach which allows people to see that I take the material taught to me and apply it to my everyday life. In short, I believe that any program that I am apart of will expand my knowledge in the nutrition field, and hopefully those apart of the program will benefit in some way from my being there.
Sincerely,
Matthew Goff
