When Indiana University Bloomington senior Kyleigh Malcolm was growing up in Fort Wayne, Ind., a single high school course forever altered her career path.
“I took a culinary class that I loved,” said Kyleigh, who is now president of the IU Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (SAND-IU) and plans to become a registered dietitian. “I decided to try out for the culinary team—which was very competitive—I really enjoyed the process of creating dishes and learning technical skills."
Kyleigh was one of just 10 students selected for her school’s culinary team, Blue Flame. Through the group, Kyleigh competed in cooking competitions, designed menus, and provided catering for school fashion shows and the annual Night to Shine, a red-carpet event for people with special needs sponsored by the Tim Tebow foundation. Combined with her part-time work at a bakery, Kyleigh began to fall in love with creatively pairing flavors and coming up with new plating arrangements.
Kyleigh excelled at Johnson and Wales Culinary School—she particularly enjoyed creating elegant croquembouche towers and mastering knife skills—but she began to worry about a chef’s work-life balance. Once again, a class shifted her path: this time, it was a challenging nutrition course at Johnson and Wales. Upon completion of her certificate there, she transferred to IU to continue studying dietetics at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington.
“This work challenges me,” Kyleigh said. “I get to be creative, I get to be smart, and I get to connect with people.”
Currently, in addition to leading SAND-IU as president, Kyleigh is a nutrition assistant with IU Athletics and a health and wellness intern for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, where she provides community education and supports nutrition research.
SAND-IU
SAND is a student branch of the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a pre-professional club for dietetics students aiming to become registered dietitians.
Kyleigh said members form a peer network and work toward various professional goals, all of which aim to make a difference in people’s lives. These include sports nutrition, holistic health, women's health, community nutrition, clinical and private practice, sustainable nutrition, and research.
Each semester, SAND-IU hosts a fundraising event for a local nonprofit. Past partners include Monroe Community Kitchen, Hoosier Hills Food Bank, The Boys and Girls Club, Bloomington Parks and Recreation, and Hilltop Gardens.
Fall 2024 is all about supporting Wheeler Mission, which provides meals, shelter, and assistance in moving to stable housing for people struggling with homelessness. SAND-IU will collect monetary donations and specific items requested by the organization which the club will assemble together, along with meals.
Some of Kyleigh’s favorite volunteer events are the annual winter hot chocolate event, electrolyte water handouts home sporting events, and bake sales. This month (Oct. 2024), SAND-IU students will tour the Goat Conspiracy Sanctuary and collect canned goods for Hoosier Hills Food Bank at Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 18 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. In November, the club will visit the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market to purchase local goods.
Kyleigh suggests following SAND-IU on Instagram @iudietetics for more info.
Meet the 2024-2025 SAND-IU cabinet members
