October 4, 2018 – Living a healthy lifestyle may be a long-term goal for many, College of Agriculture & Human Sciences (CAHS) student Kristina Edwards is putting her plan into action. The Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) freshman is one of three new students sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to attend PVAMU as an 1890 National Scholar. Kristina is sponsored by the USDA Economic Research Service

Kristina Edwards

As a Human Nutrition major with a concentration in Dietetics, Edwards shares that she began this journey of studying nutrition because of her personal desire to make healthier food choices and get in shape. “Before I made this decision, I never thought much about the quality of the food I eat, or how it affected my health and my body,” says Edwards. “Now, I have made changes to my diet, as well as my physical activity and am looking toward to making these changes permanent.”

Edwards plans to do research on the negative effects food can have on the human body and why certain ailments such as heart disease have an increased presence in the health of Americans. She hopes her research and work in dietetics will encourage people to correlate health with diet, and in turn, reduce the number of people becoming ill.

USDA/1890 Program Liaison Horace Hodge said this program is vital to preparing students for future careers. “As our 1890 Institutions and USDA prepare the workforce of 2018 and beyond, it is quite evident that strong partnerships must be forged and sustained.  The USDA/1890 National Scholars Program is a direct result of the commitment to this notion. This partnership brings positive results to all involved.”

Edwards joins the elite group of 60 PVAMU students who have been selected for the program since 1993. Valued at more than $100,000 across four years, the scholarship covers tuition, books, travel for internship and summer salary. By being part of this program, she hopes to gain insight to the various careers available in agriculture and be an inspiration for more minorities to pursue careers in this field. After graduating and becoming a Registered Dietician, she plans to start her career focusing on food quality and the impact diet has on disease.

Taelor Smith

Taelor Smith
Communications Specialist
tasmith@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5155