POWER! Member Highlight: Sarah Evans, RDN

For Sarah Evans , a quest to find the right medical professional for her needs led to her also finding a completely new career path.

After graduating from Shippensburg University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and communications, Sarah started fulfilling her childhood dream to become a journalist. However, when she returned to NEPA after living out of the area for several years, she realized she needed a career change.

At the same time, Sarah was on a quest to find a competent dietitian to meet her needs and ultimately found a brand new career path.

“I have always been a yo-yo dieter and struggled with my weight. I was getting confused about what diets were “good” or “bad” so I decided to see a dietitian. My fear with going to see a dietitian was that they wouldn’t understand what it was like to be overweight,” she said. “My years of yo-yo dieting had started a great interest in nutrition, although I definitely did not understand the complexities at that time. So, with zero science background, I decided to go back to school and become the dietitian that I wanted to see.”

Sarah spent an “intense” two-and-a-half-year period pursuing a master's degree and catching up on the science courses she missed during her undergraduate education while learning new concepts at the graduate level. The hard work paid off and she obtained her master's in nutrition from Marywood University and later embarked on an internship that would change her life.

“I moved to New Orleans, where I did a year-long dietetic internship at Tulane University. This internship was life changing. I got to work with dietitians in 32 different rotations in one of the most ethnically-diverse, culturally-unique and fun cities in the world. I worked in NOLA for an additional year before heading back home to NEPA,” she said.

RDN

Since becoming a registered dietitian in 2016, Sarah has worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, ICUs, pediatrics, long-term care, and food service management. She's currently working in an outpatient clinic that deals with bariatrics, medically-managed nutrition and diabetes and also started her own private practice in 2022 that specializes in sustainable weight loss.

“Starting an LLC was a huge leap of faith and a giant learning curve. No one teaches you how to own and operate a business,” she said. “I have worked with clients from all walks of life to help them achieve their nutrition goals. It’s a great feeling to see people accomplish so much. I’m proud to be a part of that journey with them. The best thing about being a dietitian is seeing people achieve things that they thought were impossible. The job becomes more than just providing a nutrition plan. I become a coach, cheerleader, counselor, and friend all at the same time.”

As if that wasn't enough, Sarah is also beginning her seventh year teaching nutrition at the University of Scranton and said she loves seeing students learn about nutrition.

“My hope for all of them is not only to learn the concepts, but to take something with them that they can use in their lives now or in the future. I also hope that they can share their new knowledge with their family or friends,” she said.

Travel

When she's not working, Sarah loves to travel because it allows her to see new cities and immerse herself in a new culture and, of course, sample some local delicacies.

“My husband and I are self-proclaimed foodies and admittedly plan a lot of our travels around trying new food. My top three places I have been so far are: Paris (the food!), Guatemala (the people!), and Krakow (the history...and pierogis!),” she said. “When we aren’t traveling, I’m researching trips or helping friends plan theirs!”

Fun fact: Sarah is the self-professed “world's biggest Backstreet Boys fan and proud of it, even to this day” so maybe one her next trips will be to see them in concert.

Despite her love for travel and the time she has spent out of the area, Sarah said she always finds her way back to NEPA.

“NEPA is comforting to me. My family is here. My husband’s family is here. I have a few friends that are still in the area. You’re not far from some major cities. And if you pay attention, NEPA and the surrounding areas have a lot to do, despite what we all thought back in high school,” she said.

POWER!

Sarah said she initially joined Wilkes-Barre POWER! to help network and promote her private practice but has gotten so much more out of it than that.

“I made friends that I know I will cherish forever. POWER! has become more than a networking group to me. It is a chance for people to get together once a month in a world that has become so busy with responsibilities. It gives everyone a chance to mingle, unwind, and make new acquaintances,” she said.

Sarah added that she's excited about how POWER! has been evolving recently and encourages other professionals in the area to check it out.

“I think that the value of joining POWER! has substantially increased and will continue to do so. Not only is there a fun monthly event, but there are a growing number of spotlights, newsletters, and information that is coming from POWER! I believe that this will continue to grow. It’s also great to learn about local non-profits that you may have never known about. I have learned a great deal about organizations in the area,” she said. “I also think that POWER! has a very relaxed vibe. People invite you in and welcome you into conversations. So even if you show up by yourself, like I did with my first meet up, you won’t be lonely at a POWER! event.”

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Written by Kelly Kostanesky. With more than 20 years of journalism and public relations experience, Kelly Kostanesky use a marketer’s strategy and a storyteller's voice to help businesses and nonprofit organizations make their messages resonate on a larger scale. As the founder of KMMK Communications, she helps nonprofit organizations raise sustainable funding through marketing, communications and development services.