Dietetics Student Wins $2,400 in Scholarships

A dietetics student was awarded $2,400 in scholarships from the Phi Upsilon Omicron national honor society.

Yunle Wang, a senior in her last semester at Cal Poly Pomona, received the Century and Challenge scholarships from the organization.

Phi Upsilon Omicron is an honor society for the family and consumer sciences that consists of nearly 100,000 members. It offers exclusive scholarships to its members, who must be in the top 35 percent of students in family and consumer sciences; they also must have completed a minimum of 36 semester hours, of which six must be in family and consumer sciences.

Wang, who also received Cal Poly Pomona’s Cheryl Ann Robinson Nutrition Scholarship last semester, is the current president of the university’s Beta Psi Chapter of Phi Upsilon Omicron.

Originally from Shanghai, she came to the United States about eight years ago and attended high school here. Wang applied to Cal Poly Pomona’s nutrition and dietetics option program because its course work intrigued her.

The program developed her understanding of the biological and chemical sciences and how nutrients relate to human health, she said.

“They also taught me numerous evidence-based strategies for healthy eating, the science of food and nutrition, and improved my communication and counseling skills,” Wang said.

For the scholarships, Phi Omicron Upsilon reviewed applicants’ scholastic records, participation in the honor society, and other collegiate activities, recommendations, and a statement of professional aims and goals.

As president of the Beta Psi chapter, Wang organized an initiation ceremony for new members at the end of every semester, which requires a great deal of preparation and communicating with ASI and Cal Poly Pomona administration regarding the event’s time and schedule and purchasing handbooks and club uniforms.

In addition, she performed community service, volunteering with nonprofit organizations and helping prepare and send meals to unhoused and food insecure people.

“I think all the course projects at Cal Poly Pomona and participating in Phi Upsilon Omicron leadership helped me get those scholarships,” Wang said.

In the immediate future, she plans to enroll in a master’s program, participate in a dietetic internship, and earn her registered dietitian license.

“After that,” Wang said, “I want to work as a registered dietitian in a hospital or school district setting.”