Hi! I’m Mayaneli Brown, a bilingual nutrition student at the University of New Mexico. I currently work as a behavioral health technician at an Eating Disorder Treatment Center (@edtc.abq) here in New Mexico. I also hold a degree in culinary arts and have 5+ years’ experience working the restaurant industry. Throughout my endeavors working as a line cook for higher income folx and organizing a community cooking class for lower income folx, I recognized a need to learn more about nutrition to help my community succeed. It became apparent that as I began looking into how to become an RD, that minorities were not well represented. It felt ironic that the community I wanted to serve was not represented in the career that I sought out for. Recognizing the lower percentage of RD’s are minorities, is one of my biggest motivators in becoming an RD. I’m determined to use my many privileges and skills to work towards overcoming health disparities in my community and hope to be a better representation for them as well. Although I’m not an RD yet (and still haven’t figured out my “niche” of work I’d like to get into when I become an RD), I’d like to focus my learning journey around health disparities, being a better provider/ally for QTBIPOC, and continue to reflect on my own identities that may not allow others space.
I’ve learned a lot at my job at @edtc.abq in regard to eating disorders and have learned that many with oppressed identities suffer from this illness yet lack access to be recovered. My hope in my time there is to work to challenge white supremacy, fight against oppression, and work to put policies in place that advocate for our patients.
The social media space has truly been a wonderful space that I’ve “met” so many great health practitioners. I’d be happy to connect with you! Here’s to all the QTBIPOC RD2B’s and RD’s out there. You are what pushes me to be better.
Nutrition Diversified 