Food and nutrition degree serves Keren a rewarding career
Coming from a ‘foodie family’, Keren Peter says food has always been in her blood, so studying the Bachelor of Food Science and Human Nutrition was a natural choice.
Growing up, Keren’s mum was a patisserie chef, and in 2003 Keren was inspired to open the first local organic food store on the Central Coast peninsula.
Ever ambitious, when she got to her forties Keren decided to tackle further studies so that she could delve further into the world of food and expand on her career opportunities.
Being first in her family to go to university, she enrolled in Open Foundation to familiarise herself with studying again and to get the marks she needed.
“Open Foundation was such an awesome program; I cannot recommend it highly enough. They’re so supportive and it really gets you into the flow. Especially for older people, or anyone who wasn’t academic in year 12 and wants to come back and put more energy into their studies,” said Keren.
At first, she commenced a double degree in engineering but decided to make the move into food science so that she could be closer to home and to her daughter.
“It just made sense with my background, and the program looked super interesting. We all eat. Food and nutrition are such a huge part of everyone’s life. The program was so relatable, even the more science-based stuff was constantly related back to food.”
“It’s a much smaller cohort so you have a real intimacy that you don’t get with the larger courses. You get to know other students, lecturers, and program convenors in a different way. It made all the difference. The classes were much more engaging, and it didn’t feel weird to ask a question.”
During her degree, Keren won several awards and scholarships that helped her develop leadership skills and gain industry recognition, winning a product development award as well as the Ma & Morley Ling Jun Scholarship.
Recently landing a full time job as a food scientist with Eastcoast Beverages, based on the Coast, Keren says it was her combination of work history, internships, and the knowledge she gained through the Bachelor of Food Science and Human Nutrition that gave her the edge she needed.
Keren Peter stands with Food Science academics Dr Penta Pristijono, Dr Phil Davy, Dr Taiwo Akanbi, Dr Quan Vuong and Chancellor the Hon. Patricia Forsythe.
To watch the 2024 Ourimbah Graduation livestream recordings please click here.
For future Graduation ceremonies and dates please click here.
Read more about graduation and the success of our students:
Sky’s the limit for graduates on the Central Coast
Kicking goals on and off the field, Joeli Morris proves you can do it all
Shanae’s passion for caring delivers her dream to work in health
Contact
- Elizabeth Olivier
- Phone: elizabeth.olivier@newcastle.edu.au
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