Jerrica Garza RDN, LD

Hi there!

My name is Jerrica Ali Garza.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from The University of Texas at Austin, and was able to complete my dietetic internship my Senior year through UT’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD). Throughout my time at UT Austin and while completing my dietetic internship, I had the privilege of working with fantastic organizations such as HealthyHorns, Feeding Texas, HEB Nutrition Services, and Texas Football Performance Nutrition. These collective experiences helped me realize my passion for Exercise Nutrition, Nutrition Education and Counseling, Program Development and Advocacy.

At the beginning of my second year, I applied for and joined the HealthyHorns Peer Educator program, now known as the Longhorn Wellness Peer Educator program. As part of the program curriculum, I participated in lectures regarding prevalent public health issues such as mental health, sexual health and relationships, gender and sexuality, and race and weight stigma. Additionally, I worked alongside fellow peer educators to develop and implement campus programs and policies. The Longhorn Wellness program sparked a strong passion for sexual health and relationships, women’s health, and increasing access to health-related resources.

While I never expected myself nor had the desire to work in athletics, my time with Texas Football is a moment in my life that I will forever love and cherish. The experience helped build self-confidence and inspire a new level of ambition and motivation, as well as, further developing my love for speaking with people and learning more about who they are. As part of my dietetic rotations, I was selected to work with Texas Athletics which involved working with Football, Soccer, and Men’s and Women’s Basketball.

While completing my dietetic internship, I dealt with a number of patients dealing with numerous health complications, and this experience greatly impacted and influenced my overall health. Recognizing my own struggles and journey with mental, physical, and emotional health have allowed me to appreciate the importance of nourishing all dimensions of personal health: physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and occupational, consequentially inspiring and shaping my style of nutrition education and counseling.

At JTA Wellness, I hope to provide a comfortable environment in which clients and I can work together in addressing problems, stigma, and lifestyle in order to optimize the client’s life experiences.