Grettie Reifenberger ’22 pursued a degree in exercise science, with plans to work in the field of dietetics, eventually as a registered dietitian: “I am interested in dietetics because of the hands-on, problem-solving, relational career that works directly with educating and meeting patients where they are. With an exercise science degree, I have more of a holistic knowledge of the body, training, aging, lifespan and importance of exercise.” While at Berry, Grettie took on challenging — and meaningful — research opportunities that added professional depth. In the exercise science program, she studied the body composition of collegiate basketball players through advanced medical imaging technologies. After working as a student lab assistant to investigate different DNA extraction tactics related to tick pathogen research, Grettie published findings with mentor DeLacy Rhodes, assistant professor of biology, in an article for the peer-reviewed journal Microorganisms. An individual with wide interests, Grettie minored in Spanish and is spending a year in Madrid, teaching English and reinforcing language skills. After further professional training, she hopes to live and work abroad.
