August PROFile…Judy McLean (Part II)
Last month, I interviewed Judy McLean and she had so many interesting stories about her work in international nutrition, that I decided to split the interview into 2 parts. Here now is part 2 with Judy’s advice for students (and more!).
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W: Judy, do you have any advice for students who are considering a career in international nutrition?
J: Don’t be shy…make yourself known! Don’t think that because you’re in a class of 300 that you don’t have a chance to stand out. Approach your professors, ask for opportunities to get involved but be sure you have done your homework first. Learn about what is available to UBC students on campus and through organizations like CIDA and WUSC. Have your resume, a personal statement on your interests or other background information that may help you stand out. I have a few students who ended up working with me on projects in Cambodia, Rwanda and Kenya because they were persistent and committed.
W: That’s very encouraging.
J: One of my students ended up being my TA [Teacher’s Assistant] after showing a strong interest in class and offered to do extra work beyond the marking she was paid to do. First I gave her some fairly boring work to do with some project data in Excel. Then an opportunity came up for her to help me with one of the organizations I’m involved with: the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation.
W: Is that….?
J: Yes, Angelina Jolie’s organization. I’m the nutrition advisor for that organization. They needed baseline nutrition and food security info and that student ended up going to Cambodia to conduct the survey.
W: Cool!! Did you ever get to meet Angelina?
J: (Smiles) Not yet but hopefully one day. I am impressed with her commitment.
W: Wow, that’s awesome! Stand out in class and you never know who you might get to meet.
J: …and go the extra mile. There are students who say they’re interested in helping out in certain areas but they never follow through. It’s important to follow through! If you say you’re going to do something, follow through and it does not hurt to do more than what is asked of you!
W: It’s interesting how you never know where you’ll end up working. Often, I’ll meet people who want to go straight from point A to point Z.
J: Yes, if you have a passion for something, go and pursue it…in time, opportunities will unfold. The more you get out there, the more people you meet, the more opportunities you’ll get. Sometimes this means taking on roles that you might be overqualified for. There are aspects of jobs that aren’t interesting (for example, writing reports), or it’s tough (it can be hot, humid, tiring) but sometimes it’s about the people you meet, the stories you hear…
I am a big fan of Jacqueline Novogratz and just finished her book “The Blue Sweater” and will steal a line from the prologue where she talks of how she got started:
So I did what I now tell young people to do: I started where I could and where I was given a chance.
So do what she says and work hard and you never know where it will take you!
W: Great advice! Finally, what is your favourite cuisine?
J: Vietnamese or Thai – they have some very sophisticated flavours and use of herbs and spices. They’ve had thousands of years to develop and establish their food culture.
W: Is the food there better than it is here?
J: It’s better there. Chinese food though…I’d say it’s better here!
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Thanks again, Judy, for taking the time to share your stories! It was definitely very interesting and inspiring. For our readers who want to learn more about international nutrition, please check out our International Nutrition website which has lots of links but here are two of Judy’s favourites related to this topic: