Dietetics student has recipe for success: stay engaged

June 5, 2025 – DENTON – Just say yes. That’s Mariana Salazar’s motto. The catchphrase has served the nutrition (dietetics) major well at Texas Woman’s University. 

“That’s kinda the mentality I have had,” Salazar said. “Any time I get an opportunity, I just say ‘yes.’ Because you never know. And, so far, it has worked out for the best. I’ve grown. I’ve been challenged.”

Did Salazar want to join the Food & Nutrition Network (FNN) student organization? Yes.

How about running for FNN office? Yes.

Volunteering at the TWU nutrition and culinary camps? Yes.

After working as a camp counselor the last two summers, Salazar was asked by dietetics program director and assistant clinical professor Angela Griffin if she wanted to create a new camp.

“I was very nervous because that is a big responsibility to take on,” Salazar said. “But, she encouraged me that I could do it. I said, ‘yeah, why not.’”

For the 2024-25 academic year, Salazar earned an elective credit each semester for planning this new summer camp. 

“I was terrified,” Salazar said. “But I had been involved (with the camps) the past years so I wasn’t blind to it. I knew the basic concept, the basic schedule, what had worked in the past and what hasn’t. It was very intimidating at first, but Ms. Griffin was very patient.”

Griffin, who organized the previous culinary camps, provided Salazar with the outline and gave her the reins to make the camp her own. Salazar had to come up with a name, which she said was the hardest part. Then, she had to create a theme, an agenda, a menu, a food market list. She took it step by step, and received feedback and direction from Griffin.

"It was great to see Mariana go from participating in prior camps to mentoring her in creating a camp," Griffin said. "The camp will be phenomenal teaching kids those basic life lessons like cooking and teaching them nutrition in hopes of creating healthy lifestyles at a young age."

The end result was Revamp Nutrition, which runs June 16-19 for kids who are 12-16 at Woodcock Hall on the Denton campus. During camp, Salazar will teach the lessons and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Salazar says the camp is different because of its nutrition focus. It still involves daily cooking with an appetizer, entree and dessert. But there is also a lesson each day that covers either proteins, carbohydrates or fats. 

“I wanted these kids to learn the basics and I also wanted it to be basics that can be easily applied to the menu,” Salazar said. “In my head, I thought the most basic thing to do was your macros: proteins, carbs, fats.”

The purpose was to take popular American meals and modify them to be healthier. On the carbs day, the planned appetizer is baked fries instead of french fries. Chicken burgers with coleslaw is the entree. 

“We are not frying the chicken,” Salazar emphasized. “We have modifcations all throughout but the main focus for this meal is we are using the whole wheat bun and then the coleslaw is a lot of veggies.” 

One of the biggest takeaways for Salazar was learning to have faith in herself. 

“I just feel really proud of what I have accomplished and also it showed me that I can accomplish things,” Salazar said. “So, now I am a lot less scared to take on bigger projects.”

Salazar chose Texas Woman’s specifically for its proximity to her home and its dietetics program. In high school, she struggled with an eating disorder, which led to a fear of food. During her recovery, she decided to learn about the actual science of food.

Her first nutrition professor at Texas Woman’s was Griffin, who became a mentor. Griffin’s advice to Salazar was to get involved.

“Most of the opportunities I have gotten with TWU have been because she recommended me or because she advised me or kinda gave me that extra push,” Salazar said. 

An incoming senior, Salazar plans to apply to TWU’s dietetic internship program and then take the credentialing exam for registered dietitians. 

Her career aspiration is to have her own private bilingual practice. Salazar grew up translating for her parents. She heard stories about people not wanting to go to the doctor because of the language barrier.

“So, I really want to be able to help the Hispanic population and provide those services in Spanish that aren’t as common and available as I wish they were.”