Sheena Bling was born and raised in California. She always had an interest in food and its effects on the body because she grew up with many food allergies. This interest led her to pursue her bachelor’s degree in nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Immediately following her graduation from UC Davis, she moved to Louisiana to begin her dietetic internship at Louisiana Tech University in 2018.

“When I received my acceptance into the internship program at Louisiana Tech, I was uncertain about moving to an unfamiliar state,” Bling said. “However, after meeting my classmates and amazing professors, I knew I had made the right decision. The support and guidance I received from all the professors throughout the internship and master’s program was unmatched. I am so grateful to all of them!”

Since graduating from the dietetic internship in 2019, Bling moved back to her home state of California and began working as a clinical inpatient dietitian at Doctors Hospital of Manteca. In addition to her clinical responsibilities at the hospital, Bling also works with the Bariatrics department to provide group and one on one preoperative nutrition education classes for patients pursuing bariatric surgery. Her first exposure to bariatrics was during a clinical rotation at Louisiana Tech. This sparked an interest in working with bariatric patients.

Bling also pursued a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. Her work in the bariatrics program inspired her to complete a thesis project focused on patients pursing weight loss surgery. Specifically, she looked at the factors motivating patients to undergo bariatric surgery, and their anticipated self-efficacy and quality of life after surgery based on age. Bling graduated with her master’s in nutrition and dietetics in August 2022. Since then, she has presented the findings of her research at the Weight Management Symposium hosted by the Louisiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Louisiana Tech provided me with a great foundation in nutrition that is helping me to work towards achieving my career goals,” Bling said. “I am excited to see where my career takes me! I have many fond memories of my time at Louisiana Tech, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.”