Purdue HHS Early Career Achievement Award recipient promotes healthy living as nutrition influencer

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu 

From digital screens across the country to a clinic in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Hannah Thompson thrives on making a difference in helping people live healthier lives through nutrition and physical fitness. An alumna of the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, Thompson serves as a clinical dietitian at Parkview Health while also being a nutrition influencer through Health with Hannah LLC. 

“I really love getting to do the best of both: I have that real people experience in my clinical position and then the (digital) content creation to spread the messages to a much broader group of people,” Thompson said. 

Thompson is being recognized with the 2025 Early Career Achievement Award from the College of Health and Human Sciences for her achievements in the nutrition space, from the strides she’s made as a dietitian to the influence she’s had as a content creator. 

Thompson has collaborated with a variety of brands in her content creation, including the National Pork Board.(Photo provided)

“You kind of forget, especially in the content influencer world, that there are so many eyes on you,” Thompson said. “I always forget that people I actually know can see my content — it’s not just strangers. It was so wild to even be nominated for the award and then to hear that I got it, I was very honored. It was unexpected. I love Purdue so much, so I will probably be talking about this for decades to come.” 

While Thompson enjoys the clinical side of her job, she always wanted to pursue content creation, even as an undergraduate in the dietetics/nutrition, fitness, and health double major. The earliest form of her business started with personal training, for which she became certified during her college years, and has since expanded to nutrition after passing her registered dietitian (RD) exam upon completing her dietetic internship in May 2020. 

“In counseling, you can really only reach one person at a time, which there’s so much value in that individualized care, but I really love that with the digital media, you can reach potentially millions,” Thompson said. “It’s very valuable. With so much misinformation out there in the world of nutrition and exercise, most of the content I create is about combatting that.” 

One notable thing about Thompson’s content is she meets people where they are, rather than promoting a message of weight loss and cutting out certain foods. For Thompson, a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be restrictive and challenging. 

“Growing up with diet culture around me, we’re just so exposed to the message of ‘Eat as little as possible — shrink your body,’” Thompson said. “Being able to overcome that was a big part of wanting to inspire others. Even if I don’t know them in real life, it’s just so cool that this internet version of me can reach so many people and change their lives.” 

As Thompson has progressed in her career, her Purdue education has remained an important influence. She recognized Purdue prioritized helping students make connections and get hands-on learning opportunities that made all the difference in her professional life. 

“That was part of dietetics — they want you to get all the experience, which I value now as a practicing dietitian,” Thompson said. “Purdue sets us up so well for the RD exam and finding a job. I felt really well-prepared, and Purdue’s program is really recognized in the world of dietetics.” 

A certified personal trainer, Thompson (left) often includes exercise in her content.(Photo provided)

Thompson also explained combining the nutrition-focused dietetics curriculum with the kinesiology knowledge provided in the nutrition, fitness, and health major allowed her to provide well-rounded care for her clients and make an even greater impact in her content creation. 

“I really do see the value of the exercise component, how that can tie into nutrition,” Thompson said. “When I imagined myself working with my future clients and patients, I assumed it would be difficult to adequately educate and counsel on nutrition without being able to also discuss exercise.” 

While Thompson is proud of her accomplishments in the nutrition and fitness realm, she noted none of it would be possible without the mentors and collaborators who have helped her throughout the years, many of whom are connected to Purdue. 

“Even in the content creation world where it is very in your own zone, very individualistic, you still need those people to support you and guide you and learn from,” Thompson said.