Officer Bios
Karla Zavala – President
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Hola! My name is Karla Zavala. I am a DACA recipient, a first-generation immigrant from Guadalajara, Jalisco – Mexico, and a Nutrition and dietetics student. I am the SDFSA president this year, and I look forward to bringing our dietetics and food science student community together and providing opportunities for all of us to excel.
As a future Registered Dietitian and health coach, I wish to become a guide and curator of wellness and healing through a preventative and holistic approach. Helping people learn about how to make the best choices for their biodividuality through food and lifestyle choices.
My favorite activities include yoga, rock climbing and eating delicious foods from different kinds of cuisines. Let's connect!
Maribel Briones – Vice President
Hello! My name is Maribel Briones and I'm this year's SDFSA vice president. As a nutrition and dietetic student my goal is to serve and advocate for the Latino community as a renal dietitian and certified diabetes educator. Growing up I experienced first hand the cultural and language barrier that exists with nutrition education. I want to share that our cultural foods are nutritious and it can be incorporated into a balanced meal.
In my free time, I like to go on neighborhood walks with my fiance and dog or go on hiking adventures together. I also like to binge-watch on telenovelas. I look forward to meeting everyone and being your vice president. :)
Michael Sardo -Vice President
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Michael is a Southern California native, growing up mostly in the San Fernando valley. He decided to become a chef early on and started working in restaurants at the age of 15. After graduating high school, he immediately entered into the le cordon bleu culinary school in Pasadena, CA. Since completion of the culinary program in 2003, Michael has worked in all manner of fine dining restaurants and catering. He has worked the last 12 years as a private chef and consultant. In 2021, Michael decided to pursue a bachelors degree in nutrition with the goal of becoming a registered dietitian to complement his culinary practice. Michaels anticipated graduation will be in the summer of 2026. Along with maintaining a 4.0 gpa at CSUN, Michael has many hobbies and interests including boating, kayaking, working on cars, home and appliance repair, photography, travel, and much more.
Sofia Arias – Treasurer
Hello! My name is Sofia Arias and I am excited to be your treasurer this year. I am a senior majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics and my commitment to this field is rooted in my personal experiences. Growing up, I found nutrition to be confusing and I always felt pressured to abandon my cultural foods to be healthy. I aim to work in community nutrition throughout my career to positively impact individuals from diverse backgrounds. Eventually I would love to get into private practice to help people address various health challenges through personalized nutrition plans.
In my free time, I enjoy exercising, spending time with my loved ones, and rewatching shows such as Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Friends, Modern Family, New Girl, and Malcom in the Middle. I love that this club brings people together with similar interests and hobbies. I look forward to meeting you!
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Ariana Franco – Co-editor
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Hi everyone! My name is Ariana Franco. I am a co-editor for SDFSA and a senior in the Nutrition and Dietetics major with a minor in Child and Adolescent Development. From a young age, I have viewed food as nourishment for the body and soul as I grew up cooking with my many family members. After I helped care for my niece and diabetic grandmother throughout high school, I decided to pursue a career in nutrition. I aspire to one day become a Pediatric Nutritionist as I am passionate about helping give children a healthy start in life.
I have my own small baking business where I sell baked goods as well as some vegan and gluten-free treats. I firmly believe in eating well while not compromising flavor. I love learning about other cultures and making new friends, so don’t hesitate to reach out! I enjoy baking, growing my own food, listening to K-Pop, doing yoga, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and spending
time with friends, family, and my dog.
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Crystal McCaughey - Historian & Co-Publicity
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Hello, everyone! I’m Crystal McCaughey. I am a mom, a TK-12th grade tutor, and an undergrad student double majoring in Nutrition/ Dietetics and in Food Science. I am a first generation born Chicana from Mexican immigrant parents. I believe that food and health create moments of bonding and learning from one another. In the future, I hope to be able to provide those moments with a bit of knowledge through conversations about our health through food and diet choices among the community, patients, and family. I hope my contribution in the field of nutrition will create impactful life changes among those who seek help and, at the same time, be a part of a community that helps one another. Some of my very favorite moments in the SDFSA are exchanging notes on recipes and making new connections with members. In my free time, I am a botanical artist, play ukulele, read comic books, and I love cooking and experimenting with flavors. During family time, I take my son to Taekwondo practice and tournaments, I have two dogs named Chicasaurus Rex, or Chica for short, and Beethoven and a Cat named Goose. I am eager to connect with future club members and others who are in the field!
Emily Rodriguez - Co-publicity
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Hi everyone! My major is in Nutrition and Dietetics, with a minor in Human Lactation. I am passionate about nutrition and overall well-being. I enjoy working out, spending time with my dogs, traveling, and gardening in my free time.
Chau Tong - Co-secretary​
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My name is Chau. I’m a senior majoring in Nutrition with a minor in Human Lactation. I’m passionate about health and wellness, especially when it comes to helping people understand how nutrition impacts their lives. In my free time, I love spending time with my family. Cooking, baking and ceramics are my favorite hobbies. In summer break I love biking with my family. I look forward to meeting everyone.
Dom Cuello - Co-secretary
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Hi everyone! My name is Dominique and I’m the SDSFA co-secretary for this year. I am a senior majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics and my goal is to be a sports dietitian for the USA Olympic Weightlifting Team. My passion for nutrition began with my experience with binge eating disorder - although it was a tough time, working with a dietitian improved my relationship with food and inspired me to want to help others who went through similar obstacles as me. As someone who regularly competes in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, I value the importance of finding the balance between fueling for performance and eating for enjoyment, and hope to bring that same knowledge as a future registered dietitian. In my free time, I love to read, go to concerts, explore new coffee shops, spend time with family and friends, play the drums, and go to the gym. I listen to all genres of music but my favorites are R&B, neo-soul, and nu- metal. I love talking to people about food and music so feel free to reach out and connect!
Rebecca Callo - co-web administrator & co-chief communications officer
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Hello everyone, my name is Rebecca, and I am a second-year dietetic intern and graduate student. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at CSUN where I also served as Treasurer for SDFSA.
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Anna Magdaleno - co-web administrator
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Hi everyone! My name is Anna Magdaleno, and I am happy to be one of your web administrators for the 2024-2025 school year! I am a nutrition and dietetics student with the goal of becoming a clinical dietitian. I am passionate about health and as a future dietitian, I want to share valuable nutrition knowledge. I aspire to be able to help people make the best food choices for themselves and their individual health goals while accounting for culture and lifestyle. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, spending time with my friends and family, and trying new recipes.
Alexsis Rodriguez - Co-Publicity
Hello, my name is Alexsis Rodriguez, and I am a first-generation college student double majoring in Food Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics. My ultimate goal is to become a Registered Dietitian. My passion for this field stems from the close bond I shared with my paternal grandmother, whose love language was food. Unfortunately, she developed Type 2 Diabetes, and that’s when I realized how important it is to understand the foods that can benefit her without compromising the cultural dishes I grew up with.
By majoring in Food Science, I am expanding my knowledge so I can creatively develop recipes that honor cultural traditions while promoting preventive health. I hope to use my skills to serve my family and community, helping others make healthier food choices while still celebrating the foods we love.