Katie Rippon (’20), a nutrition and dietetics major at the University of Delaware, said that her experience at DVCS prepared her to continue learning and hold to her faith while pursuing a degree in a scientific field at a secular college.
“Something I think DVCS prepares you well for is how to study and how to learn,” she said. “Even when I’m faced with a more challenging concept…I know that if I really try I can break the material down into smaller pieces, make flash cards, whatever it is I need to do. There’s so much memorization…but it’s more than just pure memorization. [It’s] how to study something and to commit it to long-term memory.”
Katie’s nutrition studies have included collaborating on research projects with professors, graduate students, and other undergraduate students. In summer 2022, she completed a 10-week full-time research experience, joining a professor’s research study on the effects of peanut consumption on cardiovascular and cognitive health in adults aged 60-80. This experience honed Katie’s knowledge of study design and methods as well as her understanding of the value of teamwork.
After graduating, Katie plans to pursue a dietetic internship in preparation for a career as a dietician. Thanks to her passion for fitness, she is interested in becoming a sports performance nutritionist or working with children.
“There’s a lot of directions I could go, and I think that’s actually what made me most excited about pursuing this career,” she said.
Katie’s Christian worldview also profoundly shapes her approach to her studies.
“Christianity has increased my appreciation for the things that God has given us, how he’s designed our bodies and provided physical nourishment in the form of food,” she said. “God created this food to nourish our bodies and provide exactly the nutrients and vitamins that we need to function…It’s crazy how complex the body is and how all these tiny little microscopic things need to come together in order for us to function and survive.”
Katie has enjoyed engaging with worldviews different from her own during her college experience, both in comparing class teachings to biblical truth and in interacting with others.
“It’s been really good for me to hear other people’s perspectives and their background and how they grew up, what they believe about life and about the world,” she said. “I definitely got some of that at DVCS with our discussions. Here, it’s a lot more up to me to go out and to meet people.”
To families considering classical Christian education, Katie says, “Go for it!”
“I’ve been able to see how I’ve grown throughout the years as a result of classical Christian education, as well as my classmates and other alumni, seeing where they’ve gone after high school and the variety of things that people have gone on to study,” she said.
To learn more about how classical Christian education equips students to learn in college and beyond, schedule your DVCS visit today!