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 2022 UCAN Health Coaches
Josie Carter
Josie is a graduate student in the MPH Nutrition program. She is from Colorado and earned her bachelor’s degree in public health. She’s interested in community nutrition and helping others develop sustainable wellness routines. She’s a mother of two young girls and each day does her best to balance mom life and grad school. Josie loves being in nature and specifically enjoys trail running. Other hobbies include audio books and cooking.
Madi Elsner
Madi is a senior studying nutrition at NAU. She is from Scottsdale, Arizona and loves hiking and anything to do with music. Her goal is to become a dietician. She is passionate about promoting a non-diet approach, body positivity, and helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food.
Abi Johnson
Abi is a senior fitness wellness student from Denver, Colorado. She’s passionate about viewing health from a holistic lens. She wants to help clients listen to their bodies and find habits that work best. She was an athlete growing up playing 6 sports in high school. She hopes to be an occupational therapist in the near future.
Faith Kittleson
Faith is a senior psychology major with an emphasis in neuroscience and a minor in health and wellness coaching. She’s originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She grew up as a dancer and now enjoys yoga and indoor cycling. You will find Faith with a book in a hammock in her free time. She is a foodie and is excited to help others discover the enjoyment of food and stress-free eating.
Abigail Pye
Abigail is a graduate student in the MPH Nutrition program. She is from Tuscon, Arizona where she grew up as a ballerina. She continues to enjoy dancing here in Flagstaff. Over the years Abigail has witnessed many dancers struggling with their body image and their relationship with food and is inspired to make a difference in this community as a dietitian. In her free time she enjoys reading, dancing and paint-by-numbers.
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.
Macey Sangbouasy
Macey is a senior nutrition major/pre-med student. She hopes to one day become a naturopathic physician. Macey enjoys being in nature. She’s passionate about helping others embrace a body kindness mindset and experience the freedom that comes from ditching diets, eating intuitively and celebrating our different shapes and sizes. Her hobbies include pole dancing and lyra (aerial arts).
Cass Sirower
Cass is a senior fitness wellness student with a nutrition minor from Cave Creek, Arizona. Cass is an artist, plays the drums and travels. She appreciates the mind/body connection and is excited to help clients experience less stress with eating by listening to their bodies, discover enjoyable forms of physical activity, and embrace a body positive mindset.
Melissa Yeaman
Melissa is a graduate student in the MPH Nutrition program. She is from San Diego, California and grew up as a runner. She’s a podcast junky and enjoys listening to podcasts while she runs. Melissa is looking forward to a career as a dietitian and hopes to work with clients who struggle with disordered eating. She’s passionate about helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food and your body.
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, MA
UCAN Assistant Director
Natalie Papini is an instructor in the Health Sciences Department and doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Health PhD program at NAU. 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.
Cass Sirower
UCAN Manager
Cass is a senior fitness wellness student with a nutrition minor from Cave Creek, Arizona. Cass is an artist, plays the drums and travels. She appreciates the mind/body connection and is excited to help clients experience less stress with eating by listening to their bodies, discover enjoyable forms of physical activity, and embrace a body positive mindset.
Emmally Evans
UCAN Assistant Manager
Emmally is a graduate student in the Counseling Student Affairs program. She grew up as a dancer and has experience working with dancers to improve their health and well-being. She’s a Graduate Assistant Resident Hall Director and hopes to work in student affairs as her future career. Emmally enjoys reading and paint-by-numbers in her free time.
Maya Rahn
UCAN Health Coach Supervisor
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.