Embracing opportunities
06/18/2024
Meet the President’s Ambassadors
Madelyn Renner
Nutrition and Dietetics
Cairo, OH
Graduation year: 2025
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BLUFFTON?
Coming out of high school, I originally started my college career at Ashland University. However, after a year of struggling to find a sense of “home” I decided that it was not the best fit for me. The summer heading into my sophomore year I re-visited Bluffton University and was immediately drawn in by the beautiful campus and the downtown area.
This, along with the fact that Bluffton was one of the only universities closer to
home that offered nutrition and dietetics finalized my decision on transferring to
Bluffton in the coming fall.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR? WHAT’S MOST EXCITING ABOUT YOUR CLASSES?
I chose nutrition and dietetics because my high school athletic career showed me how big of an impact nutrition has on the way you feel, and especially on your athletic performance. At the time I only knew the basics, but it peaked my interest and left me wanting to learn more.
What I find most exciting about my classes is learning about how the body works and how nutrition can either improve or harm quality of life. I love having the ability to learn about ways we can be in control of our health.
TELL US ABOUT BLUFFTON’S FACULTY and STAFF. ARE THEY HELPING YOU REACH YOUR GOALS?
Thanks to the small size of the university, Bluffton provides a great environment to form close relationships with the faculty and staff. While the small class sizes allow you to develop trust with the professors in your major, the small size of the university also allows you to form that trust with the faculty outside of your close circle as well.
There are several faculty members outside of the dietetics department who I have grown close to. I know that they are there for me to confide in if I need support in any way and are always there to give advice or extra resources to ensure I am reaching my goals. This helps me to feel grounded in the midst of college life.
WHAT STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU PART OF? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE ACTIVE
ON CAMPUS?
I am a President’s Ambassador, the volunteer coordinator for Bluffton University Nutrition Association, (a club for all dietetics majors), and the team director of Delight Ministries, (a Christ-centered ministry for college women).
For me, it is important to be involved on campus for several reasons. As a non-athlete, I do not have the same experience as the majority of students on campus. For them, their sports teams provide them with built-in friendships, and a planned-out schedule with very little free time.
I have much more freedom to choose who I want to hang out with and how I spend my time. With this, my introvert side can come on full force at times, and it becomes easy to justify secluding myself from the outside world. However, if I were to do this, I would miss out on the opportunities to get to know the great people around campus.
Staying active through various organizations gives me opportunities to meet people I otherwise would not have the chance to, and takes my mind off of the stress of schoolwork.