Football
- Title:
- Post-Graduate Intern
Jessie Varela enters her second season as an assistant nutritionist with the Texas Tech football program where she works alongside Lauren Papanos in managing the nutrition needs of more than 100 student-athletes.
Prior to Texas Tech, Varela worked previously as an assistant cross country and track and field coach as well as the nutrition coordinator at Trabuco Hills High School in California, her alma mater. She also worked closely during this time with Papanos as a performance nutrition intern at UCLA.
Varela earned her bachelor's degree from California State University-Chico where she was a member of the track and cross country program. She majored in food and nutrition sciences with an emphasis in dietetics and a minor in exercise science. While at Chico State, she placed second in the 10,000m for the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) two years in a row and then won the event for the 2011-12 season.
A native of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Varela continued her education in dietetics by completing her internship at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She later served at EXOS as a performance nutrition intern. She has also worked as a eietitian in Maricopa County, Arizona as a WIC RDN.
Professional Memberships: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitian Association (CPSDA), Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (SCAN)
