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 2021 UCAN Health Coaches
Samantha Fortner
Sam is a senior Biomedical Sciences major with minors in Nutrition and Chemistry. She’s from Benson, Arizona and her goal is to become a primary care physician serving rural Arizona. She loves to read and can also be found most evenings of the week at ZUMBA.
Hannah Rahn
Hannah is a junior Psychology major with a minor in Health and Wellness Coaching from Anaheim, California. Her hope is to study Clinical Psychology and help others maintain a healthy lifestyle. She is passionate about travel, meeting new people, and doing anything outdoorsy.
Maya Rajah
Maya is an international student from Singapore majoring in Psychological Science. She is a yoga enthusiast, and a certified yoga instructor and has also been practicing mindfulness meditation for five years. She is very passionate about sharing the benefits of this transformative practice. Maya ultimately hopes to serve others by helping them discover tools and resources that promote wellness in a way that is meaningful and exciting to them. She believes that each person’s journey towards health and happiness is highly personal and unique, and that there is nothing more powerful than tuning in to our own innate wisdom, and learning to communicate with our bodies in a mindful, compassionate way.
Sara Scott
Sara is a senior Nutrition major from Yuma, Arizona. Her goals are to become a Registered Dietitian and create her own health coaching business. She is an animal lover who also loves painting and yoga.
Denise White
Denise is excited to be in her second semester as a Master of Public Health Nutrition student. She wants to share with others how good they can feel by treating their bodies well. She loves talking with people about health and hopes to use her future Registered Dietician credential as a health coach for the underserved population. Denise’s undergraduate degree is in forestry, and she had a long, winding road that led her to seek formal nutrition education. She has had a variety of life experiences and enjoys connecting with all types of people. In addition to being with positive people, Denise is recharged in the outdoors and has fun hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, and snowboarding.
Anna Whitley
Anna is a junior majoring in Psychology. She is from Phoenix, Arizona. Her goal is to work in hospital administration and help improve patient care. She enjoys running, biking, and drawing.
Health Coach Management Team
Dawn Clifford, PhD, RD
UCAN Director
Dr. Clifford is a Professor in the Health Sciences Department and is the Director of the Master of Public Health program at NAU. She’s a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and co-author of the book, Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness. Dr. Clifford teaches courses in Nutrition Education and Counseling and Lifecycle Nutrition.
Natalie Papini, MA
UCAN Assistant Director
Natalie Papini is an Instructor in the Health Sciences Department. She teaches courses on health coaching, worksite wellness, and stress management in the Fitness and Wellness program. Prior to joining the faculty of NAU, she conducted research in the areas of body image and self-compassion and also worked as a health coach in the worksite wellness industry.
Courtney Prather, PhD
UCAN Faculty
Dr. Prather is an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Fitness Wellness program in the Health Sciences Department. She has a doctoral degree in Clinical Health Psychology and teaches courses in Health Coaching, Worksite Wellness, Transformational Change Practices, Theories of Health Behavior, and Stress Management. Prior to coming to NAU, she worked in a variety of roles supporting health behavior change in family medicine, bariatric surgery, and outpatient mental health settings. In her free time she enjoys rock climbing and creative, healthy cooking.
Sara Scott
UCAN Office Manager
Sara is a senior Nutrition major from Yuma, Arizona. Her goals are to become a Registered Dietitian and create her own health coaching business. She is an animal lover who also loves painting and yoga.