Growing up in a large family with five brothers, food has always been a central part of Kate Primavera’s life – and now she has turned it into her career.

The 21-year-old from Maryborough graduated from USC this month with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics.

She is now working with Healthy Lifestyles Australia, providing individualised nutrition care and support to patients in a private hospital, as well as to people at clinics and nursing homes across the Wide Bay.

“The most rewarding aspect of my new job is knowing that each day I have the opportunity to make a difference to those in regional areas and provide health care that has not always been accessible here,” the former St Mary’s College student said.

“Dietitians are often known as the 'food police' and my ultimate career goal is to build-up our reputation and change people’s perceptions of what we do,” she said.

“We are dietitians because we love food and we want to help people through evidenced-based nutritional advice.”

A career based on health and wellness was a natural progression for Kate, whose childhood was filled with competitive swimming and classical ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary dance classes and concerts with her five brothers, including her twin Peter.

“Cooking is a great interest of mine and I love exploring the outdoors and being among nature,” Kate said.

She gained further insights into health through working with USC Sport in the High Performance Sport precinct, home to Sunshine Coast Lightning, the USC Spartans’ Olympic and Paralympic swimming teams, and the Australian Cycling Academy.

“I spent four years with USC Sport while I completed my degree and I am very grateful for the wonderful team I worked with and the learning opportunities this provided,” Kate said.

“It contributed invaluable skills that transfered into my current career and helped me to come out of my shell to really build my confidence and communication skills.”

USC’s outstanding sporting facilities were among the reasons Kate chose to study at the Sunshine Coast campus, as were the size of the campus and its proximity to Maryborough.

“I was attracted to a smaller campus after growing up in a regional space, as the larger universities seemed much more overwhelming and less personal,” she said.

“My clinical placement in Maryborough and Hervey Bay was a valuable element of my degree, and I was fortunate to be able to connect with dietitians and other health professionals.”

Kate said her studies had provided a solid foundation of knowledge that she was now applying to real-life situations to provide the best possible care for clients and patients.

“As a dietitian, I have made a commitment to life-long learning and this is the perfect position to kick start my career. Every day is different and will expose me to a large variety of dietetics work across private, clinical and public health roles,” she said.

Applications are open to study at USC, starting Semester 2.