Most everyone has watched that painful moment in the TV show the Bachelor, where a young man inundated with the affection of a slew of attractive women has to kick some out of the mansion. The pain of the decision is obvious on his face, and as the distraught women walk out the door, their emotions are raw. Picking the recipient of the Elk River Kipper Scholarship each year is kind of like that. OK, not really, but it is REALLY tough to select one recipient amongst so many talented applicants who are near and dear to us. The best part of it? Seeing all the good our current and former staff are doing in this world, and knowing that in our own small way, we can help one of them have a positive impact on others. So, without further ado, we are proud to announce that the Elk River Kipper Scholarship committee chose to give the final rose to Sarah Patton.
Sarah worked as a server at Vista Verde from 2020-2021, and she is now pursuing a career in holistic nutrition. While one might argue that it was the sticky buns that pushed her towards nutrition services, there’s more to the story.
“At a young age I recognized the importance of food but I did not understand how to best balance my body with my diet. There was so much information flying around that no one knew what was right and what was wrong. In high school I decided I wanted to do the research myself and knew I wanted to study nutrition. I realized how fortunate I was to gain this knowledge that everyone can benefit from, and I am passionate about sharing my knowledge through the education of communities. This drive to help others has influenced my career choices at every turn.”
During the bad old days of barely any internet service at the VVR, Sarah decided to take on a master’s degree program in Public Health Nutrition. She has worked in public health since leaving VVR and was recently accepted into a Dietetic Internship from a pool of 600 applicants that were competing for 2 spots. Completing her Dietetic Internship at Lenoir-Rhyne University is the last step in the process to become a Registered Dietitian. Sarah’s aspirations are to provide holistic nutrition services in the community sector.
A core pillar of what we do at VVR is to help develop our staff into people who will go forward and have a positive impact as leaders in their profession or community. Sarah is on track to do just that, and we are excited to support her in her next steps. The lessons learned through living and working together in the ranch community and striving to exceed the expectations of our guests daily can apply to so much of life.
“Vista Verde Ranch has been a pivotal part of my journey regarding personal growth and career growth. During my time at Vista I was able to strengthen skills such as communication, time management, and social connections. As a server, communication in the kitchen was vital, making sure the server team was on the same page as the chefs. I value the lesson of hard work, kindness and community which Vista Verde has shown me in copious amounts!
With that, we hope you will help us congratulate Sarah, and we thank those who applied and weren’t selected for all the good they are putting into the world with their pursuits. Wouldn’t you agree that this feels so much better than trashy TV?
Click here to learn more about the Elk River Kipper Scholarship.