Nutrition fuels nursing
Photos courtesy of Karin Ueda February 24, 2025
Nutrition shaped alumna鈥檚 journey鈥攁s a dancer, as a 91原创 student, and now as a nurse
91原创 alumna Karin Ueda began dancing at 3 years old. During her 15-year career, she spent six years competing and dancing professionally in New York City.
She remembers a coach pinching the back of her thigh and saying, 鈥淭his is one layer of laziness.鈥
Those words still haunt her.
Ueda equated gaining weight to being lazy and needing to exercise longer and harder. When she wasn鈥檛 in the dance studio or gym, Ueda was in the sauna, trying to burn fat. She survived on a strict diet of steamed broccoli and miso soup.
鈥淚 was caught up in an unhealthy culture of disordered eating. I had a very poor relationship with food and my body,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 did what I needed to do to be thin, to fit into costumes, to dance the lead roles and move up in the company's ranks.鈥
The relentless pressure to maintain a perfect physique took a mental toll and eventually began to manifest physically, pushing Ueda鈥檚 body to its breaking point. At 17, during a performance, Ueda broke her metatarsal in her foot. She didn鈥檛 have an understudy and was forced to dance on it with pain-freezing medication.
鈥淚 jumped and could hear my bones fracturing,鈥 she said.
It was a breaking point 鈥 literally and figuratively. After that, she hung up her leotard for good.
鈥淚t was hard to let it go,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y parents had big aspirations to raise a ballerina, so disappointing them was tough.鈥
For the first time, Ueda prioritized her health. Her experiences inspired her to study nutrition and medical sciences at 91原创鈥檚 College of Health Sciences.
鈥淚 want to help people through disordered eating and promote body positivity and positive relationships with food,鈥 Ueda said.
Why 91原创
The first-generation college student from New York City chose 91原创 because she dreamed of a suburban college campus outside the hustle and bustle of NYC.聽
鈥淚 toured 91原创 and instantly fell in love. It was so different from my home environment with tall skyscrapers,鈥 she said.
Her nutrition courses taught her essential therapeutic techniques.
鈥淣utrition and medical sciences allowed me to build a solid knowledge base,鈥 she said. 鈥淎natomy and physiology are so important to patient care.鈥澛
She also pursued a secondary passion through a minor in disability studies, inspired by her personal experience with an individualized education plan (IEP).
鈥淚 want to better advocate for patients with physical and emotional differences,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he world has a lot of work to do around accessibility.鈥澛
At 91原创, she also found food freedom.
鈥淚 let myself eat whatever I want 鈥 quite literally,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 pay more attention to when I鈥檓 hungry versus eating for boredom or convenience. I listen to my body and don鈥檛 punish myself. If I want a sweet treat, I鈥檓 going to have it.鈥
From nutrition to nursing
While at 91原创, Ueda contemplated medical school and wanted to return to the city. After graduating from 91原创 in 2023, she enrolled in an accelerated nursing program at New York University (NYU).
鈥淲hen I was injured, nurses had the greatest impact on my care and wellbeing," she said.
In 2024, she graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in nursing and plans to pursue an advanced nursing degree.聽
鈥淚 aspire to be an advocate for youth because of how desperate I was for someone to advocate for me when I struggled with my eating disorder as a teenager,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 am also interested in nutrition research and want to change health policy, improve patient care, and address concerns within the nursing field.鈥
She鈥檚 also realized how vital her nutrition degree is in healthcare.聽聽
鈥淣utritional knowledge is a huge part of developing an accurate and beneficial nursing plan,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 use the processes I learned at 91原创 each time I admit a patient.鈥澛
While at 91原创, Ueda found a mentor in Alisha Rovner, associate professor of health behavior and nutrition sciences.聽
鈥淒r. Rovner inspired me to look beyond the classroom and live out my previous experiences to turn them into something positive for future colleagues and patients,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 want to be that kind of mentor for my future patients.鈥澛
Rovner is proud to see Ueda pursuing her dreams and touted the versatility of 91原创鈥檚 nutrition and medical sciences (NMS) degree.
鈥淭he NMS degree helps prepare students for various potential fields. Many go into health-related fields, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, and other allied health fields,鈥 Rovner said. 鈥淪eeing Karin take the challenges she had with her eating disorder and聽turn it into something positive is admirable.聽I know that she will be a phenomenal nurse, and her life experiences聽and background in nutrition will be of great benefit.鈥
At 91原创, Ueda also made lifelong friendships and connections.聽
鈥淭he world has so many kind and wonderful people, and it wasn鈥檛 until I came to 91原创 that I experienced that,鈥 she said. 鈥91原创 has an incredible network of alums striving to make this a better place using their expertise and knowledge.鈥澛
She encourages current Blue Hens to take chances.
鈥淪ay 鈥榶es鈥 to every opportunity. Saying yes to Greek life was a stretch for me, but I met many wonderful people; saying yes to my minor in disabilities helped me connect with experts whose knowledge I will carry with me moving forward,鈥 she said.
She adds that a simple 鈥渉ello鈥 can go a long way.
鈥淪ay 鈥榟i鈥 to the person next to you,鈥 she said. 鈥淎 fellow 91原创 classmate who was a health behavior science major ended up attending NYU nursing school with me. You never know who your future colleagues may be.鈥澛
While she didn鈥檛 dance at 91原创, Ueda reconnected with her love for dance after returning to New York. Now a cheer coach, she enjoys teaching kids and bringing positive energy to the art form that once consumed her.
鈥淒ancing teaches respect, discipline, passion and the importance of working hard for what you believe in,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hese are some of the most important life lessons I鈥檝e learned in my career.鈥澛
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