Say hello to Shannon Mai, President of the FSHN Club in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida and winner of this year’s MasterChef Competition! Shannon is a senior undergraduate dietetics student from Orlando who is dedicated to public policy and consumer safety. She’s also a true foodie who’s on a mission to find the perfect hamburger. Read on to learn about her journey from accounting to dietetics, as well as her plans to make a difference in the world of child nutrition. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Shannon!
Tell me about your big MasterChef win. What went into your winning recipe?
The competition was very nerve-wracking yet therapeutic! Herschel encouraged me to compete, but I was hesitant because there were so many talented competitors, and I thought my talents wouldn’t be enough to outcompete theirs. During the competition, I was rushing, and the hour we had to create our dishes flew by. It was a full hour of unplugging from all my responsibilities and just focusing on this final dish.
I’m used to cooking Asian cuisine, but none of the ingredients I’m used to were available, so I really had to improvise! I ended up making whole wheat double-fried chicken with mustard-chive reduction and roasted cabbage—I’m a dietetics student, so I had to include the whole wheat, of course! My dad is a chef, so I was so excited to tell him about winning the competition.
![White plate with fried chicken and yellow sauce, cabbage, and green and red vegetables.](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fshndept/files/2019/12/Unknown.png)
Would you share how you chose dietetics as your major?
![Beach with rock formation on right and water on the left](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fshndept/files/2019/12/20180807_180246-146x300.jpg)
I was unhappy as an accounting major at the University of Central Florida. I’ve always been interested in healthcare, and I wanted to change my major to reflect that. Then, over winter break, I walked into a cute little teashop in Orlando and ordered a lavender crème tea. When I asked the barista if there was milk in the crème, she said “No, but we can add milk powder.”
We got into this whole discussion about milk powder, and then I took a step back and said, “Wait, how do you know so much about food?” And the barista said she wanted to be a dietitian. So, I spent the rest of break researching dietetics and learning how much I could do with the field, especially learning and educating the public on sound nutrition research. I wanted to improve people’s relationships with food. I knew I loved food, but I had never thought of this interest as a gateway to a profession.
To become a registered dietitian, I knew I needed to switch to a didactic program, and the University of Florida has always been my dream school. Without finding my true passion, I would’ve never made it here. I’m so happy that I used my resources to switch majors, even if I had to nearly restart my education again.
Aside from switching career plans, I’m still grateful for all the accounting skills I learned. I use them in classes all the time. When I volunteered for the head dietitian at Shands, I actually ended up doing accounting for their nutrition formulas! Being well-rounded really pays off when I use my education in real-life situations.
![Shannon wearing a graduation cap and standing in front of an orange wall with "This is ... the Swamp" written in blue letters.](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fshndept/files/2019/12/IMG_3157-2-300x200.jpg)
What do you want to do after graduation?
I will be a dietetic intern at a program emphasizing public policy. I want to make a difference in public policy and consumer safety from a nutrition policy standpoint. That may mean working for the public sector or the private sector—a place where I can work in advocacy and lobbying. I’m also considering going to law school to give me a thorough background in law so that I can more effectively alter nutrition policy, or perhaps a Master’s in Public Health or Public Policy. Recently, I’ve developed an interest in child nutrition policy and expanding current policies to benefit children and the way they eat. I love Washington DC and California, so I aspire to live in one of those areas.
![A pile of smooth rock on a beach with water in the distance.](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fshndept/files/2019/12/IMG_0608-2-300x225.jpg)
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to cook for my friends and family, although I don’t do it as often as I’d like. I also go to the gym and do yoga on a regular basis, but I’ve also been making an effort to go beyond my regular activities. For example, I just did a surf trip with the UF Surf Club—I love going to the beach and doing any sort of water sports, like kayaking or paddle boarding.
I also love to travel and explore other cultures through art, cuisine, and photography. Electronic music is my favorite type of music to listen to. Finally, in my free time, I enjoy calling friends and family, which has helped to ground myself here in Gainesville.
If you were shipwrecked on an island, which two foods would you absolutely want to have with you? Why?
![Strawberries in plastic containers and carrots and greens in the background.](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fshndept/files/2019/12/A99C299C-BA93-486B-AD22-15B2197F84AC-240x300.jpg)
I love cheeseburgers! If I have a craving, it’s always for a burger. As a kid, when I went to my grandparents’ house, my grandmother would always walk down to McDonald’s to get a Happy Meal for me. That was our thing. I don’t eat McDonald’s anymore, because their burgers make me feel terrible—knowing this also increased my interest in learning about how food affects the body. Now, I usually go to BurgerFi or Shake Shack in Orlando. One of the most notable burgers I’ve eaten recently was a cheeseburger bao at Disneyworld’s Animal Kingdom. It was a cheeseburger in the form of a steamed bun, and the sauce mimics my nostalgic McDonald’s burger sauce.
In a distant second would be ice cream, particularly anything with shortbread or cinnamon.
Anything else you’d like to add?
A huge obstacle I worked through to get to my dream school was thinking I wasn’t good enough. I had to let that go, and I’ve really impressed myself with what I’ve done since I came to UF. I love the FSHN department—it’s given me the tools and resources to grow and develop myself professionally, and I have countless people to thank.
Article updated November 2022.
Interested in learning more about FSHN’s Dietetics programs? Read more here and here!
P.S. The Discover FSHN Series highlights the unique experiences of UF’s Food Science and Human Nutrition students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Want to read more about the amazing work going on in the FSHN department? See our previous features below (click on arrows to expand):
Undergraduate Students:
Shannon Mai, Dietetics
Alex Colon, Dietetics and Jenny Duong, Food Science
Jackie Shannon, Nutritional Sciences
Jennifer Jordan, Food Science
Lily Tucciarone, Dietetics
Tim Cassella, Nutritional Sciences
Graduate Students:
Savanna Curtis, Food Science (M.S.)
Carley Rusch and Matthew Beke, Nutritional Sciences (Ph.D.)
Alexa Hosey, Dietetics (MS/DI)
Vicnie Leandre, Food Science (M.S.)
Rufus Theophilus, Nutritional Sciences (Ph.D.)
Amber Fritsche, Dietetics (MS/DI)
Amy Jones, Food Science (Ph.D.)
Melissa Perez Santana, Food Science (M.S.)
Postdoctoral Associates:
Dr. Cameron Bardsley, Food Safety
Dr. Tautvydas Shuipys, Food Safety
Dr. Felix Jimenez Rondan, Nutritional Sciences
Faculty:
Dr. Naim Montazeri, Food Science/Food Virology
Dr. Jeanette Andrade, Dietetics
Dr. Zhiyong Cheng, Nutritional Sciences
Dr. Juan Andrade Laborde, Global Nutrition
Dr. Razieh Farzad, Food Science
Dr. Beth Gankofskie, Dietetics
Dr. Anne Mathews, Nutritional Sciences
Dr. Diana Taft, Nutritional Sciences
Dr. Boce Zhang, Food Science/Food Microbiology
Staff:
Sharyn Passeretti, Lab Specialist
Herschel Johnson, Manager of Student Services
Brandy Johnson, Administrative Assistant
Kohrine Counts Hazim, Dietetics Program Coordinator
Alumni:
Dr. Rebecca Gould, Dietetics, Postdoctoral Research
Dr. Becca Solch, Nutritional Sciences, Postdoctoral Research
Hannah Cooper, Dietetics, Private Practice
Dr. Richie Li, Food Science, Product Development
Doctor Brian Barrow, Nutritional Sciences, Medicine/Physician
Luciano Junoy, Food Science, Product Development
P.P.S. Learn more about FSHN’s renowned programs below!
Undergraduate Programs:
Dietetics
Food Science
Nutritional Sciences
Graduate Programs:
M.S. Dietetic Internship Program
M.S. Food Science and Human Nutrition
Ph.D. Food Science
Ph.D. Nutritional Sciences