Name: Morgan Siniawa

Year: 2018

Major: Nutrition and Dietetics

Hometown: Archbald, Pa.

Morgan Siniawa is a sophomore nutrition and dietetics major who is dedicated to her program and acts as the Vice President of Project HEAL. When she is not in class, Morgan works at her parents’ restaurant, Pete and Reenie’s, and does yoga at Steamtown Hot Yoga.

Q. Why did you choose Marywood?

A. I chose Marywood because of the nutrition program. In most nutrition programs in Pennsylvania and the United States, you can’t get a registered dietician certification after graduation, but you can at Marywood. I live in Archbald, which is not even 20 minutes away from campus. I figured it was right here, so it would be silly not to go to Marywood.

Q. How is sophomore year for nutrition and dietetics majors?

 A. It’s definitely one of the the more difficult years. Academically, I feel sophomore year is the hardest. We started with most of our core classes and this year, we take 18 credits along with labs and outside work.

Q. What do you hope to do with your major after graduation?

 A. I hope to become a counseling dietician for eating disorder patients. I got interested in eating disorders because I thought the concept was interesting. I felt a lot of people around me, especially in high school, were suffering from eating disorders, and I want to be that person they [people with eating disorders] can go to for support and recovery.

Q. You are already involved in an organization that has a focus on eating disorders, correct?

 A. I am Vice President of Project HEAL, a non-profit organization started by two girls with eating disorders. Treatment is very expensive and not covered by most insurance, so the club raises funds and awareness for people with eating disorders. We work mostly to promote eating disorder awareness on campus. I’m sure people on campus are struggling or need help helping someone who is struggling, and they can come to us for support.

Morgan’s passion for nutrition did not happen overnight. Outside of her studies, Morgan works at her family’s restaurant, Pete and Reenie’s, and actively does yoga to stay healthy.

Q. Your parents own their own restaurant in the area. What’s life like in the restaurant business?

 A. It’s a 1950s themed diner in Eynon, which is 20 minutes away from Marywood. It’s similar to Johnny Rockets. Everything we have is homemade; that influenced me a lot in nutrition. I started working at nine years old. I started washing dishes and worked my way out into the dining room.

I absolutely love being in the restaurant business! It’s so much fun. This isn’t our first business: it’s our second. My parents had a restaurant for 18 years. It used to be a dinner place. My dad wanted to open something smaller with my mom, and my dad loves ’50s music, which is the theme. My dad’s name is Pete and my mom’s name is Maureen, and my cousins called here Reenie, and it stuck.

Q. On social media, you post a lot about yoga. How did you get started doing yoga?

 A. I started hot yoga at Steamtown Hot Yoga at 16. I was active, and wanted to try something I never tried before. The best part of yoga is you don’t have to be anybody or do anything special; you just have to do it. You can be your own person. I love how everyone at the studio is so positive and so supportive of one another.

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