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 2024 UCAN Health Coaches
Rachel Chazan
Rachel is a senior here at NAU studying Nutrition and Foods and hopes to become a Registered Dietitian in her future. She is from Anthem, Arizona and in her free time, she loves to cook, go outdoors, and take her dog Noodle on walks. She is very passionate about helping people learn how to listen to their bodies to create an amazing relationship with food and exercise.
Grace Gilmore
Grace is an undergraduate student currently studying Nutrition & Foods with a minor in Health & Wellness Coaching. Although Grace has had a rather unconventional journey to earning her degree, she is proud to share that her own health challenges have further solidified her interest in helping others. Originally from Sedona, Arizona, Grace grew up enjoying the outdoors and still loves to be outside to this day. Outside of UCAN, Grace works at the hospital in town. Ultimately, Grace hopes to foster a wholistic health care environment that promotes listening to and supporting one’s own body cues.
Aria Harness
Aria is a Nutrition and Foods major with a Health and Wellness Coaching minor at NAU. She spends her free time in nature, reading, and making delicious foods. Her focus as a health coach is to help others find ways to incorporate healthy habits from a place of compassion for themselves. Aria is passionate about reducing stigma and making sure everybody and every body feels accepted and loved.
Breanna Hisquierdo
Breanna is in her fifth year as an undergraduate student in nutrition. She is from San Diego, California and enjoys spending her time outdoors, watching movies, reading, listening to podcasts, and playing with her dog, Everest. Her goal as a health coach is to help clients with their relationship with food and body image while maintaining a non-diet approach. She hopes to continue using these practices when she reaches her goal of becoming a registered dietitian.
Rae Kirby
Rae Kirby is a senior at NAU studying psychology and health and wellness coaching. She is an aspiring doctoral student that is passionate about health research. Outside of being a UCAN health coach, Rae is also a teaching assistant, research assistant, and a Blue Key Honor Society member. Rae loves volunteering in her community and supporting the wellbeing of those in her life. Her goal as a health coach is to make health about showing your mind and body love rather than hate.
Mariah Pierre
Mariah is an undergraduate student currently majoring in Nutrition and Foods. She is from Sierra Vista, AZ, and enjoys singing, crocheting, reading, and studying anatomy and physiology. Her career goal is to become a dietitian and to conduct research on renal diseases and older populations in health. The goal for her through being a health coach is to improve self-acceptance and work-life balance stress for others in a comfortable and accepting environment.
Samantha Soulsby
Samantha is a senior nutrition student at NAU. She is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. She grew up dancing competitively and still enjoys it along with reading, going on outdoor walks, and cooking in her free time. Her goal is to become a dietitian. She is passionate about helping others learn how to fuel their bodies in a stress-free eating environment.
Taylor Stout
Taylor is a first year graduate student focusing on Public Health Nutrition in efforts to become a registered dietitian. All the way from San Diego, California, Taylor enjoys going on walks, trips to the beach, trying new coffee shops, and is always brushing up on random knowledge. As illustrated by her degree in psychology, she loves to work with people. She is passionate about helping others fall in love with themselves and their bodies. She hopes to help reduce stigma around body image, and grant her clients food freedom.
Valeria Valenzuela
Valeria is a senior studying nutrition here at NAU. She grew up in Colorado and loves to spend her free time drawing, swimming, and listening to music. She aspires to aid people in finding positive and flexible ways to meet their goals. Additionally, she hopes to build an atmosphere in which everyone can feel comfortable and find personalized ways to improve their relationship with themselves.
UCAN Leadership
Dawn Clifford, PhD, RD
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
UCAN Co-Assistant Director
Natalie Papini is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Health Sciences Department. She teaches courses on health coaching, worksite wellness, and stress management in the Fitness and Wellness program. She conducts research in the areas of weight stigma, body image, and self-compassion and previously worked in the worksite wellness health coaching industry.
Megan Meyer, MPH, RD
UCAN Co-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.
Breanna Hisquierdo
UCAN Client Manager
Breanna is in her fifth year as an undergraduate student in nutrition. She is from San Diego, California and enjoys spending her time outdoors, watching movies, reading, listening to podcasts, and playing with her dog, Everest. Her goal as a health coach is to help clients with their relationship with food and body image while maintaining a non-diet approach. She hopes to continue using these practices when she reaches her goal of becoming a registered dietitian.
Rae Kirby
UCAN Promotion Manager
Rae Kirby is a senior at NAU studying psychology and health and wellness coaching. She is an aspiring doctoral student that is passionate about health research. Outside of being a UCAN health coach, Rae is also a teaching assistant, research assistant, and a Blue Key Honor Society member. Rae loves volunteering in her community and supporting the wellbeing of those in her life. Her goal as a health coach is to make health about showing your mind and body love rather than hate.
Rachel Chazan
UCAN Health Coach Manager
Rachel is a senior here at NAU studying Nutrition and Foods and hopes to become a Registered Dietitian in her future. She is from Anthem, Arizona and in her free time, she loves to cook, go outdoors, and take her dog Noodle on walks. She is very passionate about helping people learn how to listen to their bodies to create an amazing relationship with food and exercise.
Nikole Squires
UCAN Research Manager
Nikole Squires is a Graduate Research Assistant 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.