
By Ann Y. Robinson
As she prepares to graduate, Kaija Dahlberg celebrates her college achievements as stepping stones on the path to a career in medicine.
The soft-spoken honors student from Mounds View, Minnesota, has long had a strong sense of where she was headed. As she considered college, she knew she wanted the options a larger research university could offer.
“I chose Iowa State University because of the ability to major in genetics here, not just general biology with a genetics focus,” she said. “Then, on a campus tour, I had the chance to meet with the prior genetics advisor, who was wonderful. I also got the sense that I could feel at home here and find a strong, supportive community even though it’s a big school.”
Dahlberg’s drive to become a doctor was inspired early on by seeing a family member struggle with dementia. When in high school, she even took the initiative – despite her parents’ reservations – to get tested for a genetic marker that signals higher vulnerability to Alzheimer’s. Fortunately, she learned she did not have the dreaded gene. Even so, she decided to pursue a future that would allow her to fight disease and possibly become a genetic counselor.
After arriving on campus, it wasn’t long before she took an introductory nutrition course to consider a minor. She loved it so much that she decided to add nutritional science - pre-health and research option as a second major, with an eye to emerging nutrition-related interest in the fields of medicine and genetics.
Through her ambitious dual-degree program, she has worked on and off campus, including as a teaching assistant for the large Introductory Human Nutrition and Health course. The last two years, she has been an undergraduate research assistant in the Genomics and Environmental Research in Microbial Systems (GERMS) Lab, in agricultural and biosystems engineering, assisting with lab procedures such as bacteria plating and DNA extractions. This led to her honors capstone project -- studying potential antimicrobial resistance in soil and plant roots.
Off campus, Dahlberg worked as a medical scribe, assisting physicians in Des Moines by documenting histories, exams and procedures in an emergency department. For two years, she has been a caregiver at Independence Village of Ames, an assisted living and memory care community. That can be challenging, Dahlberg acknowledged, “but I enjoy helping the residents make the most of their lives, despite diminishing abilities and independence. It’s especially meaningful to me because of the connections to my own family’s history.”
As foreshadowed by her campus tour, Dahlberg’s college days have been filled with community, as well as work and study. Her activities include presiding as president of the Order of Omega Honor Society as a junior and serving leadership roles for the Rho Lambda Honor Society, the Alpha Gamma Delta Women’s Fraternity and the annual Iowa State Blood Drive.
Dahlberg said one of her favorite activities has been the Iowa State Sparkles Squad, an all-inclusive dance and cheer team that performs at events and ballgames.
“Sparkles includes members from Iowa State and nearby communities, many with some sort of disability. It’s been such a joy – I’ve learned so much from everyone on the team! I’m really going to miss being part of it,” she said.
Her dedication to research, her leadership and her nearly perfect grade point through it all helped Dahlberg earn an Agriculture General Endowment Scholarship that supports students who want to benefit Iowa, the nation and the world.
“Kaija has shown unwavering dedication to a future career in medicine,” said Associate Professor Wendy White, Dr. Thelma McMillan Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, whom Dahlberg credits as an important mentor. “Kaija has completed two demanding degree programs with distinction. Along the way, she has also accumulated extensive leadership experience and additional experience that will provide outstanding preparation to become a physician.”
This fall, Dahlberg will begin medical school at the University of Minnesota, where she will continue charting her journey to make the world a little healthier.