Michelle Ouderkirk

Ouderkirk's "Healthy And On Your Own" winning program, is a cookbook project for independent young adults in grades nine through 12 at Rio Rancho High School. This project will help students create a tangible reflection of the students' knowledge of nutrition and the needs of independent young adults in the form of a nutritional cookbook. Students in her food science classes will research nutrition as a means to open their eyes to healthier options in eating and cooking. Instead of simply learning the basic cooking techniques, students will be able to display their acquired knowledge in collectively creating a cookbook. According to Ouderkirk, the first several months of independence after graduation are critical in creating lifelong healthy habits. Ouderkirk, who lives in Rio Rancho, believes that if young adults are taught easy ways to eat and cook healthily while sticking to a minimal budget and major time constraints, they can ideally turn into health-conscious adults.