11/01/2026
I have this strong desire to talk about less researched, highly sought after topics. I'm not one to get nervous about public speaking but I do worry if technology will cooperate and how my presentation will land with the attendees, ESPECIALLY in a room full of my peers.
Last Sunday, I had the upmost pleasure to present "Invisible Until Now: Understanding Neurodivergent Traits in Late Diagnosed Women for Improved Nutrition Care" alongside my colleague and friend, Sarah Santiago and moderated by another dietitian Laura Gajda.
The room was full; standing room only and folks carrying in chairs and sitting on the floor to attend. Not only did the technology cooperate (yay!) but it allowed a way for attendees to interact with the framework that we introduced in our presentation.
What continues to sit with me today, a week later, goes beyond a presentation "going well." It's to the attendees that stayed after to share their story or thank us for talking about this topic. It's the folks that stopped us while we were walking the Expo Hall floor to share how much they enjoyed it. It's the dietitians who weren't able to attend but heard about the presentation from someone else. It's about the ones who decided to purchase the session recordings so that they had a chance to listen to ours.
I've always felt appreciated in our community for the work that I do and my ability to help others but this felt different; to feel appreciated amongst the biggest gathering of your peers is something that I will never forget nor take for granted. It has left me feeling even more inspired to help other colleagues with their FNCE 2027 proposals and to never consider a topic off limits for what I hope to speak about in the future.
