Vanessa Cruz, MPH, RD is school food program specialist at Whole Kids Foundation. Her passion for healthy food started when she was in high school when her grandparents moved in with her family. They both had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and heart disease and required additional assistance. Watching her grandparents struggle to manage their lifestyle diseases inspired her to make better everyday choices, to seek an education in nutrition, and to teach others about the connection between health and diet. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in 2020 with honors in advanced nutritional sciences and a distinction in leadership. She also holds a master's in public health degree from the UTHealth Science Center in Houston with a concentration in public health nutrition through the dietetic internship program. Before joining Whole Kids Foundation in 2022, she worked on two different research studies. One fostered hands-on gardening, nutrition, and cooking experiences for elementary-aged children during the school day. The other was a behavioral intervention program focused on making dietary changes to manage diabetes through cooking classes. Her education and her experiences in nutrition, behavior change interventions, gardening, and school food paved the way for her role with Whole Kids Foundation. She is most excited to support the Foundation’s goal to increase access to and the consumption of fresh, nutritious, whole foods in schools. (Austin, TX)