Name: Lizzie McManus Streit
Class Year: 2013
Title: Self Employed/ Online Business
Organization: It’s a Veg World After All
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I am a self-employed registered dietitian, cookbook author, and creator of It’s a Veg World After All who focuses on nutrition communications and culinary nutrition, providing science writing, recipe development, photography, and video content services.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?
Since I went to graduate school shortly after Holy Cross, I didn’t have a traditional employer right away. Instead, I spent the time between graduation and starting my masters program launching my blog, which started as a hobby website where I would showcase the ways I used vegetables from my community supported agriculture (CSA) share. I was definitely inspired by my coursework at HC to become a dietitian and pursue a career in food. One event that sticks out in my mind is a guest lecture that I attended in Fenwick by the professor David Montgomery from University of Washington (author of the book Dirt) on soil health. This lecture, as well as a course about nutrition and psychology offered by Professor Axelson that I took during my senior year, were two key events that inspired me to continue to learn about food systems and the intersections between food production, food choices, and the environment. Starting a blog and pursuing a masters in nutrition allowed me to explore these concepts while building up a portfolio that would eventually launch my career.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I was the co-chair of the Eco-Action club, a member of the Presidential Task Force on the Environment, and an intern for the Regional Environmental Council in Worcester. I also wrote a thesis in sociology on natural disasters and mental health with Professor Daina Harvey as my adviser.
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I had a double major in Sociology and Environmental Studies. By combining these majors, I was exposed to both social and natural sciences. Having a liberal arts degree before pursuing a masters in science has really shaped how I work as a dietitian now. When writing about nutrition, I am able to understand and analyze scientific studies while also critically thinking about the application of science in real life.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
Reading and understanding scientific studies, public speaking, and writing!
6. What advice do you have for students today?
It’s never too early or too late to start pursuing what you want to do for a career. If you don’t know what you want to do right now, don’t stress! Attend lectures, go to networking events, email with alumni who work in your field of interest, or start writing and reading about topics that interest you.
