Abigail Guay ’27, from Brookline, NH, is a Nutrition: Dietetics student in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Abigail shared her experience with hands-on learning at UNH, as well as her career goals.
Why did you choose UNH?
I chose UNH because of the diverse options it holds for students to pursue what they’re interested in. There are so many programs of study to choose from, and you can really find what suites you. The location is also amazing, from being near Portsmouth and the beach, to downtown campus having loads of things to do!
What’s something about UNH that most people don’t know?
Most people don’t know that you have so many options to pick for your discovery classes. Even if it’s a subject that you’re not totally interested in, you can pick a class that is closer to what you want to study. For example, I had to take my world cultures class and took International Food and Cuisine! It’s a super fun class that incorporates a cooking lab and is therefore closer to my major.
What advice would you give your freshman self?
I would tell my freshman self that you’ll find your people. I went through a lot of stages of trying to figure out where I fit in on campus. By junior year, I have so many good friends here and feel so close to a lot of the faculty in the nutrition department.
What’s your favorite course you’ve taken at UNH? OR What course are you most excited to take?
My favorite course I’ve taken at UNH would probably be Making Babies. Going into this class, I was unsure what I was expecting based off the name. However, I ended up loving this class! I’ve always wanted to go into Women’s Health or Pregnancy Nutrition, so I actually felt like this class fit into my interests really well. It’s a discovery so you can choose to take it, even if you’re not in healthcare!
What’s your major (if decided) and why did you choose it?
My major is Nutrition: Dietetics. I actually ended up transferring to UNH halfway through my freshman year and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. I went into Health Sciences and took Nutrition 400 with Professor Chadbourne and ended up loving the class. This sparked my interest in nutrition and made me want to pursue it further. Nutrition also has so many opportunities for career choices, so that was an aspect that made my decision even more sure.
Are there any faculty or staff members who have made you feel particularly supported and encouraged at UNH? If yes, please tell us about them.
Yes! I’m taking two classes with Professor Smutko this semester, and she has been absolutely amazing to work with both in lab and in class. She’s so understanding and makes class the least stressful she possibly can for students. I’ve also been working with Laila Hammam this year in my internship through Health and Wellness. Laila has been a fantastic mentor and opened up so many opportunities in the nutrition field for me. I would highly recommend becoming involved with both these lovely people!
Where have you found a sense of community at UNH?
I’ve found a sense of community through my major! I’ve met most of my friends through nutrition and been around them basically every day. The nutrition community is a really tight knit major, and we all get along really well!
Reflecting on your time at UNH, what’s an experience that stands out to you?
I would say doing the CHANAS study was an experience that really stood out to me. This stands for College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey and was a two week long research project through UNH’s Nutrition 560 class. As students, we got to preform anthropometric and biochemical tests on undergraduate students from the Nutrition 400 class. I’m really interested in being in clinical nutrition settings, so this was really neat to me!
What’s a UNH tradition you love?
I love Uday here at UNH. This is the day that all the clubs at UNH set up tables on the Thompson Hall lawn. So many people on campus get together to come to this event. Food is served on main street, music is playing, and it’s overall just a really good time.
Tell us about an impactful hands-on learning experience you’ve had at UNH.
I’m one of the Nutrition and Eating Concerns through Health and Wellness here on campus. I started doing this internship fall of 2025 and am still participating this spring. Working with Laila has taught me so much, and I’ve made a lot of good friends from this internship! We do a lot of educational posts, tabling, cooking classes, and other events to spread knowledge about Nutrition.
What’s your favorite spot in Durham?
My favorite spot in Durham would probably be Durham Landing. It’s a park down the street from UNH with Oyster River running through it. There’s park benches you can sit on while you watch the ducks and seagulls, and there’s usually always dogs there. It’s overall a really peaceful place and I enjoy spending a lot of my time there when it’s warm out.
What are your aspirations for the future? How is your time at UNH helping you get there?
My aspiration for the future is to become a clinical dietician working in either women’s, pediatric, or NICU nutrition. I hope to help people and make a difference in their lives, something I’ve found to be a constant goal in my lifetime. After my time here at UNH, I will go onto a master’s program and my dietetics internship!
Tell us about a part of your college experience that wasn’t what you thought it was going to be.
I didn’t think that I would end up getting such a great education here. Transferring from my old school, I didn’t find that I was learning a lot. However, since coming to UNH, I feel like I’m really getting the most of my time and money here.
Have you received any scholarships during your time at UNH? If yes, which ones, and what have you been able to do or accomplish at UNH because of them?
Yes, I’ve received the Dean’s scholarship throughout my time here at UNH. To receive this scholarship, you have to keep a GPA of above 3.2 every year of your time at UNH.
Most of the scholarships at UNH are funded by alumni — Wildcats just like you — who want to help out the next generation. If you could say anything to those alumni creating scholarships as a way to show your gratitude, what would you say?
I would say that scholarships such as these have been extremely helpful to affording college. I don’t think I would be here without them, so my education is possible because of you!
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