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.
Fall 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 completing her internship as the UCAN manager this semester. She is from Scottsdale, Arizona and loves anything to do with music. Her goal is to become a dietitian one day. Madi is passionate about promoting a non-diet approach, body positivity, and helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food.
Jaycie Grover
Jaycie is a senior nutrition student from Gilbert, Arizona. She is passionate about her bunny (Neptune), exploring the outdoors, and trying new recipes. Helping people feel like the best version of themselves is her primary goal as a health coach. She’s a great listener and offers compassion, a positive attitude, and support.
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.
Ramsi Geiser
Ramsi Geiser is a Senior here at NAU and is studying Nutrition and Foods. She is from Phoenix, Arizona and loves cooking in the kitchen and enjoys any excuse to move her body. She wants to help clients to learn to love the food they put in their body, while also seeing the other benefits that come along, and to help others find enjoyable ways of movement that suits their needs.
Nikole Squires
Nikole Squires is a Graduate Research Assistant studying weight inclusive, non-diet approaches and health coaching. She is also a doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Health PhD program at NAU. Nikole is a certified health education specialist (CHES), certified intuitive eating counselor (CIEC), licensed and certified athletic trainer (LAT, ATC), and come October 2022, national board-certified health & wellness coach (NB-HWC). She conducts research in the areas of intuitive eating, body image, eating disorder recovery, and non-diet, weight-inclusive healthcare and fitness practices. In her free time, Nikole enjoys listening to podcasts, spending time with friends and family, and going for walks, hikes, and bike rides.
Melissa Goode
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.
Lauren Aldridge
Lauren is a senior studying fitness wellness and minoring in nutrition and business. She loves hiking, rock climbing, working out, and finding other creative ways to get active in her daily life. She is a personal trainer and pilates instructor here on campus. She is passionate about looking at health through a holistic lens, focusing on the mind-body connection and how every aspect of health, including physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health, is all connected.
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.
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.
Madi Elsner
UCAN Manager
Madi is completing her internship as the UCAN manager this semester. She is from Scottsdale, Arizona and loves anything to do with music. Her goal is to become a dietitian one day. Madi is passionate about promoting a non-diet approach, body positivity, and helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food.
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.