2020 Farm to Table Speaker: Stephen Degler

A native of La Verne, Stephen Degler is a senior who will graduate this spring in food and nutrition with an emphasis in dietetics. His short-term plans are to become a clinical registered dietitian and his long-term plans including continuing his education and eventually becoming a clinical manager.

My life has changed considerably since coming to Cal Poly Pomona. I first attended community college straight out of high school and switched my major around from biology to nursing while not being entirely certain of what I wanted. I took a few years off from school after being offered a different opportunity as a restaurant manager at the age of 21. Because of my experiences working with food, I became aware of the foods and nutrition program at Cal Poly Pomona. After nearly five years off while working at the restaurant, I started taking the necessary science and math courses at Chaffey Community College to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona.

I applied only to Cal Poly Pomona because I knew that it was different from other universities. As a polytechnic university, it had smaller classroom sizes, and I got to know my peers more intimately. It provided me new friends who support each other in our aspirations of working in nutrition to help others. Through the relationships I have formed on campus, I obtained multiple learning opportunities on campus in the surrounding community.

The academics at Cal Poly Pomona were more challenging and demanding than anything I had ever experienced before.  The number of hands-on projects and group work that are part of my program has made me learn to better work with people. Being able to communicate through the most difficult of scenarios, with conflicting personalities, is something I enjoy doing. I attribute my ability to speak with people from my curiosity to learn and bring people together.

I also have developed my leadership and organization skills as a member of the Food & Nutrition Club and being surrounded by such motivated peers. Who would’ve thought there was a whole group of students just like myself that pays far too much attention to detail and love food the way I do? Since my junior year, I have served on the club’s elected board. When I was elected club president for my senior year, I was able to truly start grasping what my future would hold as my final year of classes had begun. As president, I worked with more than 20 board members who were a wonderful group of students. They have shown me how much nutrition students care about our fellow Broncos and can work together to achieve greater things than ourselves. I have always thrived in a group setting, but it wasn’t until I was able to be a student leader that I learned my passion for working alongside and bringing others together.

For the longest time I wanted to work in the healthcare system but was not aware of the field of dietetics. The Foods & Nutrition Club on campus allowed me to hear directly from speakers in multiple careers involving nutrition. I learned that registered dietitians could choose different paths. Some involve working in a clinical setting, another can involve working in a food service setting for school district, and you can work in an array of outpatient community settings as well. I became interested in working in a clinical setting through my medical nutrition therapy classes. These classes expose students with little to no clinical experience to nutritional-based therapies. It was remarkable to learn about the effects that foods may have on chronic diseases, preventing and, in some cases, reversing their effects.  I have been able to learn first-hand of the impact that a dietitian can make in a world full of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and much more that has impacted our community. I know whole-heartedly that I want to work as a registered dietitian in a clinical setting where I can directly impact those with chronic illnesses.

Having faculty who still practice in the nutrition is truly valuable, and they guide students toward careers that fit their strengths and talents. Lecturer Vickie Chan and Assistant Professor David Edens have mentored me and helped me succeed.  I think that personality is a big part of who we are, even in our careers. While it’s important to remain professional, these professors also understood how to talk to students and brought a level of humor in their teaching which I was drawn to. You should be passionate about what you do, and both care for their students in a way that truly made my time at Cal Poly more memorable.

The foods and nutrition faculty urge their students to expand their experiences into the community by volunteering at local hospitals, school districts, and community-based programs to better prepare them for a future in dietetics. I have volunteered in the nutrition department at a local hospital  for two years, interned in the child nutrition services department at a local school district , and worked as a community health coach at a hospital where I motivate in community members suffering from chronic illnesses to change their lifestyles. These positions were all made possible through my time and relationships built at Cal Poly Pomona. Through my Cal Poly Pomona education, I have developed not only knowledge and wisdom through my studies, but also confidence in working with people in a hands-on way.

My community nutrition course was one of my most impactful classes as it allowed me to work within the community where I currently live. The course had contracts set up with many local partnerships allowing us students to safely work in the community surrounding campus and learn more than what can be provided solely in the classroom. Some locations I was able to serve at included food pantries and urban farms, where I learned about sustainable farming techniques and help provide resources to community members in need. Understanding where your food comes from and then providing resources to community members that are living with far less than most, is inspiring to someone like myself wishing to work in the field of nutrition. This class and the service-learning aspect it includes is exactly why I came here as a student in the first place.

Another significant learning experience came when I was able to attend the national Foods & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Philadelphia last fall. FNCE is the largest annual gathering of nutrition professionals; more than 10,000 registered dietitians, researchers, policy makers, and related professionals attend this event. I cannot speak enough as to how this conference further fueled my drive for this profession.

I would not have been able to attend this event if not for Cal Poly Pomona’s Division of Student Affairs. The division helped pay for my travel, housing, and conference admission. There are many on-campus grants and scholarships that can allow students to attend similar events. After returning from the conference, two other students and I shared our experiences with the nutrition club. We encouraged them to find grants and scholarships that would allow them to attend local and national conferences and expand their knowledge like we did. I plan on attending this conference again every year that I can because of my experiences last year.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus has impacted all our lives and plans in so many ways. All my extracurricular activities and volunteer positions were put on hold. I went from being constantly on the go to having to stay home. Being forced to slow down and see how much there is to appreciate while at home with loved ones is eye-opening.

I was two months away from graduating and congratulating all my fellow classmates I began my Cal Poly Pomona experience with when commencement was postponed indefinitely. I was also planning my wedding that was supposed to take place two weeks after graduation.

This summer I will still get married to my beautiful future bride, just in a different way than we had originally planned. I was accepted into a graduate-   level Dietetic Internship program for this fall at Cal Poly Pomona. Although I was accepted in April, it hasn’t entirely sunk in yet, and I am very excited to get even closer to becoming a registered dietitian. My undergraduate experience is coming to an end different than planned, but I am left with many fond memories to help guide me through my future.

There is an endless amount for me to learn at Cal Poly Pomona. Even though I am looking forward to graduating and beginning my career, I will continue to crave learning more because of the curiosity Cal Poly Pomona has instilled in me. Thank you for the honor in allowing me to share my experiences with you about my time at Cal Poly Pomona. Go Broncos!