Opportunity: a good chance for advancement or progress.
Opportunities can emerge at the most unexpected times, and knowing when to seize them requires courage, personal awareness, and wisdom. The college years are a unique period when students are learning how to balance goals while caring for themselves in many dimensions. Navigating these years is not easy. When someone who has been in your shoes shares advice for the college journey, seize the opportunity to discover how to forge your own path.
Welcome to our third edition of Letters to Myself: Words of Advice and Encouragement. In this series, recent graduates of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida reflect on their early experiences in the department and share what they’ve learned, what they might have done differently, and their dreams for the years ahead. Our hope is that these letters offer reassurance and guidance for those beginning their college journeys.
Today’s letter-writer is Evelyn Neilson, a graduate of the food science program in the UF/FSHN Department. Evelyn is also the winner of the FSHN Department Senior Distinction Scholarship this past April, a prize awarded to the outstanding senior in each of the department’s three majors. In this letter, Evelyn addresses first-year students as she describes how she learned to balance opportunities with personal wellness.
Dear First Years,
My name is Evelyn, and I graduated in May 2025 with my B.S. in Food Science. After graduation, I went home in Key West and enjoyed my last Florida summer before moving to Dallas, TX where I am an Associate R&D Scientist at PepsiCo. As a product developer on the PepsiCo Meals Team, my days are spent working on product formulations, testing new ingredients, and working with the team to get products from concept to launch for brands like Rice-A-Roni and Quaker. Outside of work I enjoy baking for my friends and coworkers, cooking, trying new workout classes, and exploring my new city!
I think my past self would be surprised to hear where I ended up, but happy to see it! I am living in Dallas, which is unexpected, but I have accomplished my goal of becoming a food product developer. This opportunity has been rewarding beyond my wildest dreams. Sometimes, as I am driving to work in the morning, I don’t believe that this is my life! I am working the job I hoped to have, and I feel so grateful to able to call myself a food scientist.
My journey to this dream career was not always smooth sailing. If I can offer encouragement and reassurance to you, first-year students, I will share some of the lessons I’ve learned in my time at UF.
Pushing past doubt can lead to fulfillment and opportunity.
My first memory at UF is when I was finally alone in my dorm after a stressful day of moving in. The actual move in process is a blur, but I remember the quiet once my family left. I was alone, and I finally had a chance to process everything. I sat on my bed eating a slice of coconut cake from Mildred’s Big City Foods and felt anxious about the unknown but energized by the blank canvas and life I could create. It wasn’t easy to push past fear of rejection and overwhelm of being in a new place, but I am grateful that I put myself out there to create the life I wanted.
For example, some of my favorite memories at UF happened in the Pilot Plant, developing recipes for The American Society of Baking (ASB) or IFT product development competitions. We would spend hours baking different recipes to try to get the perfect flavor or correct water activity, often spending many days on the same formulation to get it just right. And the hard work paid off: our UF/FSHN Product Development Team won first place in the 2023 and 2024 ASB Baking Tech Conferences!
Although we felt the stress of an approaching deadline and pressure to succeed, I look back and remember laughing with my friends over burnt cake or forgotten ingredients. The best work happens when you are taking it seriously while still having fun. If I hadn’t pushed myself to try these new experiences, I never would have discovered what I could achieve.
Knowing yourself can lead to pursuing career goals.
The only consistent interest I had growing up was food. Whether it was my dedication to making the perfect soufflé at twelve years old or commitment to making my own birthday cake for the past 10+ years, I was always thinking about food. I wanted to understand what made the perfect ice cream or how vanilla extract was able to taste so … vanilla. I’m happy to say I can answer both of those questions now!
[…] Investments in yourself will keep you balanced, energized, and ready to show up for the opportunities that you commit to.
I am currently happily working at PepsiCo on the Meals Team. In this position, I have the opportunity to work with some iconic brands and learn from incredible leaders to make meaningful impacts in the food industry. I hope to keep consumers at the heart of the work I do and remain excited about future food innovations.
Talking with everyone can lead to friends and incredible experiences.
UF may feel huge at first but the more people you connect with, the smaller it becomes. You never know when a familiar face will reappear in your life or how someone might shape your journey.
You might meet your future best friend at an FSHN Club General Body Meeting (GBM) freshman year, drift apart for a few years, and then find yourselves with the same class schedule and leading the very club where you first crossed paths. Or you might meet a graduate student on a study abroad trip who, after hearing you share your love of baking, invites you to join a product development competition team. Fast forward two years, and you’re leading that team to a first-place win as captain.
Freshman-year Evelyn pushed past her fears and started conversations with older students, professors, and advisors. She showed genuine curiosity and desire to learn. I’d like to thank my younger self for taking on this daunting task and setting me up for opportunity and success early in my college career.
Taking risks can lead to self-confidence and new passions.
Join a new sport, sign up for a class outside your department, or apply for the internship you feel underqualified for. College is the time to try new things; you might discover a passion you never expected or open the door to an experience that changes you.
At the start of my sophomore year, I applied to a study abroad program (UF in Purpan) knowing almost nothing about it except I would spend eight weeks in France learning about food and wine with one requirement: participants had to be “willing and able to work on a farm.” I had zero farm experience, but I knew I would learn something valuable, even if I didn’t yet know what that would be.
I risked putting myself into a situation where I didn’t know anyone, was not confident in my language ability, and didn’t have skills to fall back on. But it led me to spend a month working at a winery, living with a French family, and fully immersed in French culture. I made friends with other food science students from across the world and grew my network internationally. The long days spent trellising grapevines and navigating life in a new country taught me resilience, adaptability, and the confidence that I can build community anywhere I go.
Saying “yes” while making time for yourself can lead to a balanced, rewarding college experience.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the opportunities UF has to offer, from research to clubs to internships. It can be difficult to decide where to say yes and where to step back. Being realistic with yourself and setting boundaries to what you commit to, prevents you from spreading yourself too thin. Be open to trying new things but before overcommitting yourself, it is important to make a list of priorities and goals and ensure that whatever you are joining is filling your cup, without making it overflow. I knew I wanted to be involved in product development, IFT College Bowl, and hold a leadership position in the FSHN Club, so I worked to make a big impact on a small number of activities that I knew I could handle.
Don’t forget to take time outside of those activities for yourself! Take advantage of the free workout classes at RecSports, keep up with hobbies, and carve out time in your day to cook healthy meals—or whatever you might enjoy. These investments in yourself will keep you balanced, energized, and ready to show up for the opportunities that you commit to. Remember: it goes by so fast. Enjoy the journey!
Best wishes,
Evelyn
Letters to Myself is a sub-series of our innovative UF/FSHN Careers Advancement Project (CAP), which captures what it’s really like to earn degrees in food science, nutritional sciences, and dietetics.
[Reference: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Opportunity. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved October 1, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunity]
Interested in learning more about studies and careers in Food Science and Human Nutrition? Check out our UF/FSHN CAP series:
(1) What Can I Do with My Degree?
(2) Day in the Life
(3) Letters to Myself: Words of Advice and Encouragement
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
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