Stacy Beaty, Northampton County Area Community College

Stacy Beaty, second year Biological Science major at Northampton Community College (NCC), is passionate about both community service and healthful nutrition. Stacy’s interest in nutrition began as a teenager, when she sought to remedy poor eating habits that impacted her health issues. Stacy founded the NCC Vegetarian Club, initiated Meatless Mondays, and was a member of the highly selective Student Leadership Class. Stacy volunteered at the Cancer Support Community as part of a service learning project. She taught a cooking class that showed participants how to prepare nutritious dishes and surveyed participant’s changes in their eating habits. The results of her findings, “The Effect of Education and Stress Reduction Programs on Feelings of Control and Positive Lifestyle Changes in Cancer Patients and Survivors” were presented at the Beacon Conference, a yearly event for community college students where she was named outstanding presenter. Another service learning project took Stacy to St. Michael’s Indian School in Arizona, where she worked with high school students creating gardens that will supply healthy produce for the cafeteria and remedy erosion on the school’s land. Stacy plans to become a Registered Dietitian so that she may teach others the power, and joy, of healthful nutrition.