Graduate spotlight: Grit and determination help Alvarado realize her dream of running, earning dietetics degree
Kim Chaudoin |
Abigail Alvarado does not give up easily on her dreams.
When Alvarado celebrates the completion of her undergraduate degree in dietetics from Lipscomb University in May, it marks a significant milestone in the transformative journey that she has forged over the last six years.
As a 16-year-old growing up in Laredo, Texas, located in the deep south along the border of Mexico and the United States, Alvarado embarked on her academic and athletic career under unique circumstances. She entered a competitive high school, initially aligning herself with nursing students for the academic challenge, despite having no clear career path in mind.
However, her passion for nutrition soon emerged as she watched cooking shows and was enthralled by culinary icons such as Christina Tosi and David Chang. She found herself enthralled by their work ethic and passion to pursue something so “menial like food.”
“At that point, I knew I didn't want to be a nurse like everybody else, and I wanted to do something different that incorporated my love for science and nutrition,” she explains. “So I searched on Google to find what careers combined food and science and I landed on dietetics. From that point on, my goal was to become a dietitian. There was nobody that I knew who was a dietitian, and most people in my hometown didn't even know what a dietitian was. Also, my university had no dietetics program, so I was excited to pave my own career path.”
Alvarado also had a passion for running but her new high school did not have an athletics program, forcing her to train on her own. While she was grappling with this new reality, the Covid-19 pandemic hit spinning her athletic career into a deeper rut.
“But running in college was still my dream,” Alvarado says.
She trained at a local gym where they helped her prepare to compete during the summers because she was unable to compete in both the spring and summer like most high school students.
The aspect that I love most about being a student-athlete at Lipscomb is being able to freely express my faith with my fellow athletes. It is difficult to come by athletes who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, so finding my community is such a blessing that I treasure deeply. — Abigail Alvarado
“With only the summers available for me to get better at my sport, my only shot was taken away because of Covid. I had nothing. So when I was trying to get recruited my senior year, I had to rely on my times as a sophomore to get me recruited to run at college,” she explains. “Many universities turned me down because of my lack of competition, and I was absolutely defeated. It seemed that my dream to run in college was becoming impossible.”
As Alvarado was ready to give up on her dreams, one of her friends who was a member of Lipscomb’s track and field team at the time came home to Laredo for winter break and saw that she was struggling. He talked to his track coach from Lipscomb and mentioned Alvarado. “I finally got recruited to run at college,” she says. “It was so perfect because Lipscomb had a major in dietetics and it was a Christian university. I was absolutely elated!”
“Right when I was about to give it all up, God saw me through and gave me a miracle,” Alvarado continues. “I had never visited Nashville or Lipscomb, but I knew it was a perfect fit and I committed here.”
Joining the track and field team as a sprinter her freshman year, she grappled with self-doubt after a two-year hiatus from competition. “I was not confident about my abilities because I had not competed for about two years,” she explains. “This was difficult for me to face because I knew what I was capable of, but my performance wasn't translating my passion for the sport like it used to.”
Through hard work, determination and the supportive environment fostered by her coaches, Alvarado gained confidence and strength.
“Each year, I've improved drastically as my coaches encouraged and strengthened me. Through their training and persistence, I've gained so much more confidence in my abilities,” she says. “I'm proud to say that I'm no longer that scared little freshman. I'm much stronger, wiser and secure in who I am as an athlete now. Though I had a rough beginning, I'm grateful for the progress that I've made and for the coaches who never stopped believing in me.”
Even with that support, being an NCAA Div 1 student athlete is demanding. In addition to investing much time and energy to track and academics, she works two jobs and she says being so far from home and not having her family nearby to help carry the load was difficult. She turned to a counselor to help her navigate depression and anxiety.
“Despite these hardships, the Lord has been so good,” Alvarado exclaims. “When I didn't have the strength, the Lord always provided for me each day. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for the Lord sustaining me. “
And she has flourished both as an athlete and a student. Boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA, Alvarado is a member of the Alpha Chi academic honor society, was named ASUN Track Athlete of the Week in December for her performance in indoor track and was a member of the women’s 4x400M relay team that set a program record at the Raleigh Relays in March. She is the first recipient of the Nancy White Davis Memorial Scholarship in Dietetics and is one of two winners of the Outstanding Dietetics Student Award this spring.
“My experience at Lipscomb has been different than what I've experienced at my past university. I'm not used to being so open about my faith because it's not widely accepted where I'm from, so coming to Lipscomb where Christianity is involved in our curriculum was so beautifully different,” shares Alvarado. “In the past three years, I have changed so much. My faith is so much stronger and the shackles of shame proclaiming my faith have been slowly withering away.”
But she says the most important way that the Lipscomb community has changed her is that she became more than just a grade in a class or a time at the track.
“All my high school years were cutthroat and competitive as each student strived to the best. Moving away from that environment, I'm proud to say that school nor track define me anymore...the Lord does,” she says. “So as my relationship with God has grown, I am more secure in who I am as I no longer need a grade or time to validate my worth.”
Alvarado’s determination to run in college changed the trajectory of her life.
“My experience at Lipscomb's track and field program has been one of great blessing and transformation. I love the support that I have from my coaches and teammates. It's something that I don't ever take for granted because I'm reminded of those times when I was on my own,” she explains. “Now I have a whole track family that advocates for me in whatever I do.”
“But the aspect that I love most about being a student-athlete at Lipscomb is being able to freely express my faith with my fellow athletes,” she continues. “It is difficult to come by athletes who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, so finding my community is such a blessing that I treasure deeply.”
As commencement day approaches, Alvarado reflects on the significance of reaching this milestone. “It causes me to reflect upon my family and the sacrifices they have made for me. With every step forward, I take my family right along with me,” she shares. “When you see me, I'm not just Abi Alvarado … I'm the struggle, grit and determination of those who came before me. I'm just proud of where I come from. So, being able to give this back to my family and community and show them what we have accomplished together brings me so much joy and honor.”
Following graduation, Alvarado will continue running for Lipscomb, using her final year of eligibility and will continue her education in Lipscomb's Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Program (MS DI). She plans to become a registered dietitian and maybe one day pursue a Ph.D. so she can teach at the university level and conduct research.