Dianna Richardson is a Nutrition Educator in Aiken County. She started with Clemson Extension in April 2018. She is from Alaska and has always worked in the health field until she moved to SC nineteen years ago. Since Dianna moved to South Carolina, she has mainly worked in a kitchen. Nutrition Education is just an extension to that. She enjoys cooking and teaching others about healthy eating.
Dianna’s area of expertise is healthy recipes and teaching about the importance of healthy eating. IN her role at Extension, she can teach children, teens, and adults the importance of health and nutrition. In her opinion, seeing healthy changes being implemented is the best part of her job. Whether it is a child or an adult, she loves it when the lightbulb clicks on, and the audience tries healthier habits that can change a life. Sometimes, she has to dare the teenagers to “Try” or “Taste” something they think is nasty, like cucumber-infused water. The brave kids find that it is delicious and learn a healthier choice than the sugar-loaded soda.
Her most memorable moment with Extension was when one mom of a picky teenager told her that the teen is planning healthy snacks due to him sitting in on an adult lesson. The teen went shopping with the mom, picked out a new veggie to try, and made the homemade low-fat ranch to go with his fresh veggies. The teen chose healthy snacks over his regular chips and soda.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer