At HHS, we don’t just offer jobs, we invest in careers and the incredible people who build them. In this personal essay, Jordan Campbell, MS, RD, LDN, shares her journey of starting as a dietetic intern at Maria Parham Health and navigating the intense challenges of passing her RD exam with the unwavering support of her team. Today, Jordan serves as a Lead Dietitian, demonstrating what is possible when passion meets the right community.
Read her full story below to see how mentorship, resilience, and a supportive family can shape a meaningful career in healthcare nutrition.
Why HHS? Career Growth, Mentorship & Purpose
Jordan Campbell, Maria Parham Health, Henderson, North Carolina
The summer of 2021, I was halfway through my master’s program at Appalachian State University when I received the exciting news that I had been selected in their pilot program for completing the MS/DI distance education. I was so ecstatic, not only would I be receiving my Master’s in Nutrition Science, but I would also be able to complete my dietetic internship at the same time, saving myself a year’s worth of time and money. There was only one problem, I had no idea where to complete my clinical and foodservice rotations. After sending out to what seemed to be endless amounts of prospective preceptor emails, I finally received an accepting preceptor at Maria Parham Health who was contracted through none other than HHS. I completed my rotations at Maria Parham Health from February through May of 2022; it was nothing short of a great experience. My preceptor was able to give me so much knowledge and resources to help better me not only as a dietetic intern but as a future clinical dietitian. The people I worked with on a daily basis made me feel so welcome and supported; they helped build my confidence and understanding of what it takes to be a clinical dietitian. And best of all, they made me feel like a part of the HHS family at Maria Parham Health. At the end of my rotation, I was met with the amazing opportunity to continue to be a part of this HHS family; I was offered my first clinical dietitian position at Maria Parham Health.
I will never forget how excited and nervous I was on August 8th, 2022; it was my first day being employed with HHS at Maria Parham Health. I was excited to begin my journey doing what I absolutely love to do; I was nervous because I had not been able to pass my RD exam yet. This is my greatest reason for truly loving HHS; they had confidence in me to become a registered dietitian when I honestly did not know if I would ever pass the exam. During my first few months at Maria Parham Health, I was able to work under my coworker’s guidance while studying to pass the exam. I have never studied so hard for something in my life and yet I still was desperately struggling to pass the RD exam; it was the most frustrating time in my career thus far. How could I love something so much and be so confident in my knowledge at work and yet not be able to pass the one exam that proves I am qualified to do my job? This is something I battled with as not only did it make me doubt myself at my work, but had me wondering if HHS doubted me too. I was thankfully met by grace and reassurance time and time again from HHS until I finally did pass my exam. My employers never lost faith in me when I was starting to lose it in myself.
Since passing my RD exam, I am now coming up on four years with being employed through HHS. Since that time, I have grown from being a provisional dietitian to a registered dietitian to now a lead dietitian. I get to work every day with an amazing team that makes me feel seen, supported, and valued. I am able to do what I love every day; I get to help people see the value of what nutrition truly is and how impactful it is in everyone’s life. I get the opportunity to continue to grow as a clinical dietitian through education and growth opportunities- my next goal is to hopefully take the CNSC exam in pursuing my passion for nutrition support.
I know I would not be the dietitian today without HHS. HHS has given me opportunities throughout my entire journey in becoming a clinical dietitian and I am forever grateful. HHS saw my opportunity as an intern and invested in me when they weren’t guaranteed my outcome; they had faith in me when I didn’t have faith in myself. HHS has impacted so many other dietitians in this same way. I am forever grateful for the support and opportunities HHS has provided me in my career and look forward to the journey ahead.