10 weeks, 9+ projects, 8 rotations, 7 interns, 6 Summercise classes, 5 dollar gas prices, 4 pounds of sea glass, 3 thousand miles, 2 villages and 1 adventure of a lifetime. Since I have returned back to the lower 48, and my home in Minnesota, the hardest question I have been asked is, “What did […]
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My Summercise internship is based out of the Diabetes Prevention Department at Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC). NSHC is the only health care provider in Nome, Alaska, and it carries no anesthesia! High risk pregnancies, surgeries and patients requiring more intensive care are medevaced to a better-equipped hospital in Anchorage. NSHC also serves as the […]
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Although I have spent the last eight weeks of my Summercise internship in Nome, I sometimes forget that I am actually in Alaska! This village by the Bering Sea is a treeless grid of dusty streets, dirt hills and run down houses. However, three dead end gravel roads lead out of town, winding through mountains, […]
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I applied for this Summercise internship for three reasons. The first reason was the opportunity to work with kids to help them develop healthy nutrition and physical activity habits at a young age. The second reason was the chance to travel to Alaska and work with a unique minority and native population. The final reason […]
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When I first told my parents I was considering pursuing a degree in dietetics, they jokingly thought it implied that I would be spending my days as a lunch lady. While foodservice management is a primary field of dietetics, recently I had the opportunity to experience a week in the life of a clinical dietitian. […]
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After a long and dark winter, the people of Nome eagerly take advantage of 20-plus hours of sunlight during summer months. Since the few “non-light” hours are still as light as dusk, it is not uncommon to see young children playing basketball or riding their bikes outside until well after midnight. Each year, the Midnight […]
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I grew up wearing a faded blue Breakers Bar sweatshirt. I didn’t know where it came from or why the pale color made it look like it had been washed hundreds of times. I certainly never would have guessed that the story behind it would eventually intertwine with my Summercise internship in Nome. When I […]
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Spending this summer in Nome means taking part in community traditions! June 10 marked the 7th annual Alaska Lemonade Day, a temporary learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business through the cover of a lemonade stand. Although the program was started in Texas and runs nationwide, it is […]
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Hi everyone! Alaska is particularly remote from most major agricultural centers, and the mountainous and tundra terrain is unsuitable for farming produce or livestock. As I have mentioned before, Nome is not accessible by road from any other metropolitan area. All people, food, equipment and supplies are either flown in from Anchorage or brought in […]
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Travel days are long days. After arriving at the Minneapolis airport at 4 a.m., I went to check my two bags. Either the attendant could tell that I was about to be volunteering all summer, or my groggy “good morning” really hit home with her, and she kindly waived all of my baggage fees. The […]
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