Casey Vagts, MAND Student Board Member
Hi! I’m Casey and I’m currently in the Nutrition and Dietetics master’s program at UW-Stout. I graduated last May with my bachelors in Dietetics from UW-Stout. Since my master’s program is online, I moved back home this year. Besides graduate classes, I work at a small business that grows and sells microgreens and volunteer at the Minneapolis VA as a dietitian’s assistant. When I am not studying, I love to read, go the gym, and hang out with friends and family.
What got you interested in nutrition/dietetics? I have known I wanted to become a dietitian since I was a junior in high school. At the time, a mutual friend who was senior declared it as her major and I was curious as to what it involved. I researched about the field of dietetics, and I felt like it would be the perfect fit for me. I was taking PSEO courses at the time, so I signed up for an intro to nutrition college course and I never looked back. I have also always been interested in nutrition and health as both my mom and grandma have celiac disease.
What nutrition topics or issues are you interested in learning more about? A nutrition topic that I have grown passionate about is health at every size (HAES) and weight bias. I think it is a topic that I haven’t got a lot of education on in my courses but an important one to focus on as a future health professional. Another topic is gut health and the various influences it has. The fact that there is so much unknown related to this topic draws me towards it.
What type of career path(s) are you exploring? I am not sure what area of dietetics I would like to work in after obtaining my credentials. I am interested in so many aspects of nutrition! I think the dietetic internship will allow me to figure out which path is right for me. My favorite part of dietetics so far is nutrition education and counseling. I was able to teach nutrition education lessons at a Boys and Girls club during my undergraduate degree and that was my favorite experience. I think working in a community setting where I would have a role like this such as a YMCA would be fulfilling for me. However, I can see myself enjoying an inpatient or outpatient position too. I am also very passionate about food security and would like my career to help with that issue in some way.
About MAND
Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) is an affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. We are the largest professional organization of nutrition health professionals in Minnesota, dedicated to optimizing Minnesotans' health through food and nutrition.