Dr. Emily Heying is a 2006 Marshalltown High School graduate who is a professor in the nutrition department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota.

Dr. Heying is a 2006 MHS graduate

Dr. Emily Heying said Marshalltown High School teachers pushed her to do her best. Now, the 2006 MHS graduate is in a similar role.

Heying is a professor in the nutrition department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota.

“My dad (Jerry) was a long-time biology teacher at MHS so I was introduced to science at an early age,” Heying said. “I loved learning how the world worked and knew that broadly, science was the only field for me.”

Heying went on to get her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Wartburg College in 2010. She later received her doctorate in nutritional sciences from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 2014.

Among the many Marshalltown teachers who inspired her were former MHS science teacher Pam Brewer-Michael, who is now a curriculum director for Marshalltown Schools, and retired MHS English teacher Cheryl LaVille. A couple of her other favorite memories from MHS are qualifying for state tennis and celebrating in a muddy field after the Bobcat football team beat Newton for the first time in 32 years.

Heying’s advice for young people is to work hard and don’t compare yourself to others or worry about things as frivolous as being popular in high school.

“Just be kind to others and work on bettering yourself — whether it be in the classroom, in relationships with others, or on other skills to help you move forward professionally,” she said.