la·gniappe | \ ˈlan-ˌyap, lan-ˈyap\
lagniappe: a little something extra; something given for good measure
Example: The meal was served with a lagniappe of freshly made cornbread.
Mark Twain’s Thoughts on Lagniappe
“We picked up one excellent word, wrote Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi (1883), “a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word-‘lagniappe’…. It is Spanish-so they said.” Twain encapsulates the history of “lagniappe” quite nicely. English speakers learned the word from French-speaking Louisianians, but they in turn had adapted it from the American Spanish word la ñapa. Twain went on to describe how New Orleanians completed shop transactions by saying “Give me something for lagniappe,” to which the shopkeeper would respond with “a bit of liquorice-root, … or a spool of thread.” It took a while for “lagniappe” to catch on throughout the country, but by the mid-20th century, New Yorkers and New Orleanians alike were familiar with this “excellent word.”
~Merriam-Webster.com
LWDI Is Not Your Average Internship
We chose this “excellent word” for our program because we believe in the spirit of lagniappe for the program and for our interns. We seek it out in applicants and continue on our end to develop it for a program like no other.
LWDI Program Lagniappe
All internships have the usual rotations that allow interns to gain the experiences necessary for entry level competence. LWDI goes beyond that:
- Interns listen to podcasts focused on current issues in dietetics and then come together for live discussion boards. We have even had podcast hosts join in on the discussions!
- Interns contribute to the LWDI Intern Blog by writing an evidence based post on a topic of their choosing around our focus area, Diabetes and Obesity Prevention and Treatment.
- Interns participate in a focus area module taught by a certified diabetes educator and the founding dietitian of our partner, the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (NDORI).
- Interns participate in a custom RD exam content course through RD Bootcamp throughout the entire internship
- Program directors offer evening and Saturday morning chats that are a quick text message away.
LWDI Intern Lagniappe
We appreciate the little something extra interns bring to the program through the uniqueness of each: as a person, in past experiences, in developing philosophies of dietetics practice. When we interview applicants, we ask them “What lagniappe will you bring to your internship?” because we value the diversity that makes each cohort truly unique. This shines through during live discussion boards and intern written blog posts where interns can show the world of dietetics and beyond who they are, what they value, what they bring to the table.
We encourage interns to think and get outside the box to find rotations that are of interest to them. LWDI program directors work with preceptors to craft rotations that accomplish the ACEND driven objectives but also foster the interests of the interns. Examples of out-of-the-box rotations include professional and collegiate athletics, farms, corporate wellness, and retail grocery outlets.
We value previous work experience of our interns and encourage our applicants to apply for credit for Prior Assessed Learning for up two rotations.
We believe everyone has a little lagniappe in them. Check us out to find out how LWDI can bring yours into the light!
