UMN Trainee Spotlight: Kalia Thor

Kalia is a second year MPH Nutrition student, MCH nutrition trainee, and a MNLEND trainee. She completed her undergraduate degree in Nutritional Science from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK and her dietetic internship through Iowa State University. She is currently working as a Nutrition Educator for WIC. She has found a passion in helping underserved populations as well as learning more about individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and helping them with their needs. 

As the semester began in September, I was fortunate enough to have been selected as a trainee in MN LEND which also falls under the MCH bureau. What exactly is MN LEND? MN LEND stands for Minnesota Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities. When I first heard about it, I didn’t know exactly what I was signing myself up for. With my experiences so far as a LEND trainee, it really has allowed me to view things differently from other disciplines outside of nutrition for individuals who may have neurodevelopmental disabilities. During undergrad, one topic that I felt I lacked most in was with those individuals who could possibly a disability and always wondered why their nutrition choices were so limited or why they tend to be so “picky” when it came to meal times. With what I’ve learned so far, I can see a small glimpse of what these individuals see – how their daily activity is affected by their surroundings, what their lens is on their surroundings and their thought process on their surroundings, early signs of developmental delays and more. Being a fellow and with the year continuing, I only hope to continue to learn more about individuals with neurodevelopmental or related disorders. 

As a LEND fellow and working with WIC, I am fortunate enough to be able to work on a project for both organizations. With the project, we hope to identify issues that WIC staff may have in addressing delays with families. We also hope to find partnerships with other programs and helping families find interventions in helping families with identification of possible developmental delays in their young children, often times these delays can be overlooked. This could be as simple as making a referral for other programs that are here in Minnesota known as Help Me Grow or Learn Now, Act Early. With the knowledge I have gained from being a LEND fellow, I have found that the education I learn from MN LEND and working with young children have many benefits and how important this could be in helping families. 

For more information on MN LEND, visit https://lend.umn.edu/.