Meet Our Coaches
All of our health coaches complete a minimum of 45 hours of training in health coaching techniques. The UCAN health coaches are upper division undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing careers in health fields.
Just like you, they often struggle to manage their studies, work obligations, extra curricular activities and health-supporting self-care patterns. Our health coaches don’t have perfect diets or exercise habits. They can empathize with the stressors of college life and will work with you to help you achieve your health goals.
Health coaches are experts at supporting clients through the behavior change process. Health coaches are not personal trainers and they aren’t dietitians. They provide counseling services to support you in whatever changes you’re interested in making.
Spring 2026 UCAN Health Coaches
Abi Lee (she/her)
Abi is a senior in the Fitness-wellness program at NAU and a passionate per-occupational therapy student. She enjoys reading, watching Disney movies, hiking, and taking cycling classes for fun. Through her pre-OT studies and health coaching, she has developed a strong belief that everyone has unique needs that should be taken into consideration when working on improving healthy living. As a health coach, she is passionate about helping others discover personalized ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
Torrie Barreras
Torrie is a senior at NAU studying nutrition. She’s originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She enjoys being a dog mom – taking her dogs to the dog park and out on the trails. She loves meeting new people and connecting with others who have unique stories and experiences. Torrie plans to become a registered dietitian working with people who struggle with gut health or live with chronic illnesses. She’s passionate about helping others manage their health so they can live fuller, happier lives.
Riley Blahnik-Elliott
Riley is a senior at NAU, where she is pursuing a double major in Biomedical Science and Nutrition with a minor in Studio Arts. Originally from Montana, Riley values reading, cooking, and movement through dance, hiking, yoga and weightlifting. Riley plans to pursue a career in endocrinology, with a focus on the connection between hormones, nutrition and overall health. She is passionate about supporting clients in creating manageable and sustainable approaches to wellness that individually align to each person’s lifestyle. Her goal is to empower her clients to build confidence in their bodies while making lasting changes that support overall health.
Tish Blankenship
Tish is a junior undergraduate student studying nutrition and dietetics with a minor in health and wellness coaching. She enjoys hiking, watching movies, working out, and cooking. She is from Avondale, Arizona and is very passionate about health, wellness, and helping others achieve their goals. She hopes to become a Physicians Assistant in the future. She is determined to help empower others and spread positivity to all.
Alexis Williams
Alexis is a first-year MPH student at NAU and earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology from NAU, where she also ran the women’s club soccer team. She has a strong passion for women’s health and is excited to continue expanding her knowledge across all areas of public health and nutrition. Outside of academics, Alexis loves spending time outdoors and is on a mission to visit every national park. Alexis is driven by the belief that health is not one-size-fits-all and that empowering
individuals with knowledge is key to building lasting, meaningful change.
Avely Avelar
Avely is a senior at NAU studying Nutrition and Foods with a minor in Hotel Restaurant Management. She enjoys spending time with her dogs and family, she likes baking, cooking, and walking. She is an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine club, serving as both treasurer and vice president. She is also a private chef focusing on cooking meals for her clients. Avely has plans to become a pediatric dietitian, she is passionate about helping younger populations with their health and well-being.
Madeline Shaffer
Madeline is in her fourth year at NAU, majoring in Fitness Wellness with a Minor in Nutrition. She was born and raised in Arizona, frequently moving between Flagstaff and Prescott throughout the years. She enjoys hiking, swimming, sketching, reading, and watching movies. Lastly, she is passionate about helping and encouraging others in building a healthy relationship with food and physical activity.
Danica Shair
Danica is a first-year MPH Nutrition student at NAU. She is from Pasadena, California and completed her undergraduate degree in psychology in San Diego. She is interested in the connection between mental health and nutrition and values intuitive eating. As a UCAN health coach, Danica hopes to empower others to build balanced, happy lives by helping them discover what works best for them as individuals. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with animals, running, biking, hiking, gardening, and being outside. She plans to pursue the Registered Dietitian credential and work in nutrition counseling.
Hailey Brambley
Hailey Brambley is a senior at NAU studying Nutrition. She grew up in the Bay Area of California and enjoys staying active through running, yoga, and snowboarding, as well as experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. Hailey is deeply passionate about mental health advocacy and supporting others in achieving their personal health goals. She plans to attend graduate school in the fall to pursue a degree in public health, with the long-term goal of becoming a registered dietitian specializing in women’s health. She is passionate about helping individuals build sustainable habits that support lifelong health.
Ellena Slater
Ellena is a senior pursuing an undergraduate degree in nutrition with a French minor. She aspires to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in the future. In her free time, Ellena loves going to the gym, enjoying nature walks, listening to music, cooking, and reading both fiction and non-fiction. As an international student from England, she is passionate about helping people navigate the challenges of moving to a different area and helping them incorporate positive habits to support their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Paulina Herrera
Paulina is a senior at NAU majoring in Nutrition with a minor in Public Health. She enjoys cooking/baking, watching movies, working out and spending time with loved ones. She plans on becoming a Registered Dietitian and a Health Coach in the near future. She is passionate about supporting others so that they can have a healthier and balanced lifestyle. It’s important to her that she makes her clients feel heard and supported and empowers them to create lasting lifestyle changes.
UCAN Health Coach Student Managers
Jade Martinez
UCAN Client Manager
Jade is a Fitness Wellness student with a minor in Business from Casa Grande. She plays video games, three different instruments, and works as a massage therapist. Her goal is to graduate with a bachelor’s degree this spring and secure admission to the DPT program for physical therapy.
Harlee Finnvik
UCAN Promotions Manager
Harlee is a senior majoring in Fitness Wellness. She is from Gilbert, Arizona, and played soccer throughout her life. She enjoys spending time with friends, being outside in nature, and reading. She hopes to return to school to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and eventually be a nurse practitioner. She is very passionate about helping others and wants to help make a difference in peoples’ lives. Her goal is to help clients make an impact that will stick with them and benefit them throughout their lives.
UCAN Health Coach Faculty Supervisors
Dawn Clifford, PhD, RD (she/her)
UCAN Director
Dr. Clifford is a Professor in the Health Sciences Department. She’s a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and author of the book 5-Minute MI: Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Health When Time is Short and co-author of the book, Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness. Dr. Clifford teaches courses in Nutrition Education and Counseling and Lifecycle Nutrition. She conducts research in non-diet, weight inclusive approaches to health and well-being and behavior change counseling.
Natalie Papini, PhD, MA (she/her)
UCAN Assistant Director
Natalie Papini is an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences Department. She teaches courses for undergraduates in fitness wellness and graduate students in the interdisciplinary health PhD program. She conducts research in the areas of weight stigma, body image, and self-compassion and previously worked in the health coaching industry.
Nikole Squires (she/her)
UCAN Assistant Director
Nikole Squires is a lecturer in the department of Health Sciences and doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Health PhD program at NAU. She conducts research in the areas of intuitive eating, body image, eating disorder recovery, and non-diet, weight-inclusive healthcare and fitness. Nikole is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor (CIEC), Licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer (LAT, ATC), and National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). In her free time, Nikole enjoys listening to podcasts, reading, spending time with friends and family, and going for walks, runs, hikes, and bike rides.
Megan Meyer, MPH, RD (she/her)
UCAN Assistant Director
Megan Meyer is Lecturer in the Health Sciences Department. She teaches courses on lifecycle nutrition, foodservice management, and culinary courses. Megan holds a culinary degree from Johnson & Whales. Megan’s expertise includes culinary nutrition, pediatric nutrition, eating disorders, and public health and prevention. She worked for 7 years as the campus dietitian for NAU, which included work with projects that focus on addressing food insecurity, the implementation of the Healthier Campus Initiative, and the development of Live Well NAU.