Student Corner Interview

James Lucas, BS

WIC Program
Athlete

James, tell us about yourself, your education, and current employment.

I am from Hamden, CT. I graduated from the University of Connecticut, Storrs in the spring of 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences. I also earned a minor in Nutrition for Sport & Exercise. I am currently working in the WIC Program.

You have been involved in many sports. What is your experience?

I have an athletic background. I became involved with organized sports at an early age. I have tried several sports such as baseball, basketball, football, martial arts, and track but I have more experience with basketball, football and track. Throughout my high school years I played football and ran track. I was the captain of the football and track team my senior year. I was recruited by several schools throughout the tri-state area to play football. I decided, instead, to pursue an academic degree solely and put football and track behind me. Although I did not play sports in college, I knew that I would always be involved with sports some way.

How did you become interested in nutrition?

Initially, I pursued a degree with the Kinesiology department’s coaching and administration program. At the end of my freshmen year an acquaintance told me about a Summer Nutrition Education Program sponsored by the UConn Cooperative Extension. Through this program I learned more about the Nutritional Sciences degree at the University. I always had an interest in food and how it affects athletic performance and overall health. I knew that the courses would be both stimulating and challenging. So, upon entering my sophomore year I decided to change my major to nutritional sciences.

Tell us about your work in UConn’s Summer Nutrition Education Program and something you learned.

The UConn Cooperative Extension, Summer Nutrition Education Program (SNEP) is a 4-H base youth development program, which provides food and nutrition education to low-income youth. The objective is to improve awareness about the importance of healthy eating among all individuals. My responsibility while working with this program was to educate 4-H youth about basic nutrition and to develop a sound nutrition education presentation to children ages 5-14. It was a good experience for me and helped me understand the process of delivering nutrition education from a community perspective. In this circumstance, I learned the importance of understanding the community in which I worked. For a program like this to run effectively you need leaders of the community who are eager to make a difference. It was a large task but, by taking small steps, I believe we were able to create more awareness about the importance of good eating throughout the life cycle. This job also helped me to understand the Food Guide Pyramid as well as the new MyPyramid which we used as our education tool. I worked at this job for four summers. I also worked as a personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness for a summer to stay in tune with my exercise background.

How do relate your nutrition knowledge to the sports with which you are most familiar?

I appreciate the nutrition knowledge which I have accumulated. When playing sports such as basketball, or before going to the gym for a workout I always try to incorporate what I have learned to my daily routine. Primarily when it comes to sports and weight training I try to specifically apply the principles of nutrient timing. For instance, when going to the gym for a workout I have a protein shake immediately before or during my workout, and following my exercise I aim to have a supplement with a 4 to 1 ratio (4 grams of carbohydrate to every gram of protein) within the first 45 minutes of working out. If I’m not applying the nutrition knowledge to my own routine, I look to give information to other athletes when opportunities may occur. Recently, I have given two presentations to high school athletes on the cross-country and track teams. I enjoy giving information to high school athletes because they are often misinformed.

Have you been involved in any nutrition research? What did you learn from that experience?

As a senior at the University, I was invited to participate in a study that examined the effects of exercise performed at different times of the day on reducing risk factors for heart disease. This study was conducted by a doctoral student and the principal investigators were Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, and William J. Kraemer, PhD. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the effects of exercise and high-fat intake on the level of fat in blood. There were two exercise trials, one four hours prior to the meal and the other 16 hours before the meal. I was involved with this study for about four weeks. I learned a lot about the research process from a participant’s point of view. I noticed the time and dedication necessary to complete the process. Everything had to be done accurately or the data could not be included. I was able to get into better shape by doing this study as well as learn more about my body. According to the results of the DEXA scan and blood lipid profile I found that my risk for heart disease is minimal.

What are your current professional goals?

My current professional goals are to maximize my potential as a WIC nutritionist. Everyday I am eager to find new material or a better approach to counseling clients. This is my first full-time job, so I am trying to solidify my development as a nutrition professional. WIC gives me a great opportunity to help people make smart food choices to keep them healthy. I continue to work on materials to teach people about the importance of good nutrition and healthy food choices. Because I would ultimately like to become a registered dietitian, I plan to enroll in the fall of 2007 as a continuing education student taking the courses I need to be eligible for an internship.

Once you become a registered dietitian, what kind of work do you want to do?

Once I become a registered dietitian, I would like to work primarily in the field of community nutrition. I enjoy educating high school students because I find that they are, at times, more eager to learn, but I would not limit myself to any particular field or community. I want to work with all people in hospitals, schools of all levels, community health programs, health clubs/gyms, and athletic teams. It is difficult to say exactly where I would work, but I know I am not particularly interested in food management services.

Is there anything else you would like to share with other students?

For other students, I would say start early. Even though you may not know what you want to do when you are in high school, start with an idea because timing is essential and you don’t want to waste time. If your are thinking about pursuing a career in dietetics and haven’t started yet, I recommend focusing on science classes. The most difficult aspect for me was transitioning from liberal arts to sciences without having a great science background. For those who are in college and pursuing dietetics, I would say you are on a good path. The courses offered under this degree are great for personal development--learning about yourself and how food can affect your well-being. Also, it’s a good major because of the new job opportunities developing in nutrition.

2/10/07