Featured Graduates
Almost as soon as the ink was dry on her Integrative Project on the topic of holistic health assessment, Korena Thomen (2005) turned an internship into a job offer, becoming Wellness Director for a small group in Sacramento who are in the early days of establishing an integrative health center. She also interviewed for a job as a clinical health educator at the Kaiser Permanente there. Even people in the healthcare industry themselves can be skeptical about holistic approaches to health and tend to shy away from anything that hints of spirituality, such as Reiki, a healing modality that Korena practices. Because she managed to educate the educators, she was chosen for the position because of (rather than in spite of) her holistic leanings. Korena has always been interested in working with people, young and old, to help them create health. Her approach is that of a facilitator who provides information, as well as wisdom and support. Her latest initiative includes proposing courses on health she'd like to teach at local colleges.
Mary Meloy (2005) left her husband and college-age son back on their family farm in Iowa to come to California and study in the HHE program. She was focused right from the beginning on health and nutrition and determined to go back home and start a center in which she could share her knowledge with people of all ages in a community that was only just beginning to open up to holistic approaches.
Within her first year of being back in Iowa, Mary had created Body of Wisdom, and the center showed so much promise that she bought the building. Some of the things she does are to prepare and give seasonal workshops, hold group and individual weight management programs, offer a lovely, stress free environment to provide Reiki and Yoga sessions, write and deliver a regular newsletter, consult and speak about health at community and medical establishments and functions, and have a book club/dinner club in which she can offer healthy nutrition in a fun atmosphere.
Says Mary: "My business has been open for 3 and ½ years now! I can't believe that my dream is a reality...I always wanted to work for myself. Some days can be hard, but I love what I am doing, so it is all worth it. I could not have done this without moving to California and attending JFKU. Not a day goes by without thinking about how I can utilize the skills that I learned in that environment. My degree gave me the confidence, knowledge, and practice to do this work--a foundation and tools to incorporate in the health profession. The HHE program is unique because it gives you the determination to go out there and practice good health through your mind, body and spirit. You find yourself walking the talk! When you do this, you can be a great role model. You establish a belief in yourself, and then others believe they can be healthy also. Aside from the education, I met remarkable individuals: my professors, co-students, and JFKU colleagues. I am forever grateful to have been given the opportunity to meet others who believe in what I am doing and who can share in the support of good health."
HHE graduate Trudy Schafer, M.A. (2006), is a Natural Chef who brings a holistic healing approach to the kitchen using organic whole foods. She specializes in cooking nutritional and appetizing cuisine for people healing from illnesses and with food allergies and sensitivities. She received her culinary training from Bauman College and her Masters of Arts in Holistic Health Education, with a specialization in Holistic Nutrition, from John F. Kennedy University.
Trudy says this, "I think my education at JFKU taught me how to meet clients where they are, and to have a greater understanding of how to approach health through a holistic view. Sometimes I introduce the holistic concepts to my clients to promote healing, and sometimes I am a piece of their holistic healing puzzle, along with other practitioners."
This highly successful HHE graduate and natural chef will be featured in a new TV series on the Food Network this fall titled "My Life in Food." The show will feature Trudy cooking for her clients, teaching at Bauman College, preparing a food demo at the Berkeley Farmers' Market, and highlighting good food choices at a local grocery store. Her personal chef business is called The Healing Hearth.
Selena Lee graduated from JFKU in 2003. While at JFKU, she developed and honed skills in communication and holistic-based program development in her job as Associate Director at the McKinnon Institute. McKinnon has been in the forefront of massage education in the Bay Area and beyond for over 35 years, educating the public about the health benefits of touch therapy as well as raising professional standards in the field.
In January 2005, Selena purchased McKinnon Institute in partnership with Carl Johns, a long time teacher. Selena's passion for integrated health has always been at the core of her work at the McKinnon Institute. She recognized the opportunity to own and direct McKinnon as a perfect way to combine her values in right livelihood, holistic health, and education. Throughout 2005, she gave the school a green makeover, making it not only part of the Bay Area Green Business Program, but also a healthy and creative learning and work environment. In 2006, she served in the Green Health Care Leadership Summit through Teleosis and is currently recognized as a Green Health Care office though Teleosis.
In 2007, Selena purchased another massage school, the Body Therapy Center (BTC) in Palo Alto. Together, both schools offer over 3,000 hours of high-quality massage and bodywork courses, and train over 500 people per year. In addition to her roles at McKinnon BTC, Selena is the Director of the Touch Health Association, a non-profit that teaches infant massage to pregnant and parenting teens in Alameda County. In this function, she has been teaching self massage, seated massage, and infant massage techniques to teen moms since 2001. Focus on positive, healthy and safe touch has empowered these young women as mothers and enhanced their bonding processes with their children. In seven years, she and volunteer chair massage therapists have served over 200 young women. In her spare time, Selena enjoys balancing her mind, body and spirit by exploring the wilderness and traveling the world.
Since graduating, Jen Freitas (2007) has continued her relationship with Clif Bar & Company, local maker of all-natural and organic energy foods and drinks. In her current role as Human Resources Manager, Jen is charged with recruiting new talent and creating employee development programs that cover a wide spectrum, including personal development/self awareness, via life coaching, teaching non-violent communication techniques and taking a holistic approach to stress management. Jen researched creating an integral approach to worksite well-being for her final project and continues to work on incorporating that learning into her every day work.
Jen sees a logical continuum from her work as a Fitness Instructor to the work she's doing now. "It feels like I've come full circle in my work at Clif, building on the relationships and trust created during my time as a trainer and focusing that towards the holistic well-being of our employees." Getting experience in Human Resources is a logical choice for those wanting to move into corporate wellness, as this is generally where employee wellness resides. She says that working for a values-based company has reinvigorated her commitment to the community-helping her see the value in investing in the community by restoring her recently-purchased older house and helping revitalize one of Oakland's oldest neighborhoods. "I have a new appreciation for how integral health encompasses relationship to self, community and environment."
After graduation, Njoroge C. Tho-Biaz (2007) completed the course of study in homeopathy at Dr. Joel Kreisberg's Teleosis Institute. With Holistic Health Education and Homeopathy under his belt, both harmonious with his metaphysical ministry, private practice in consciousness and spirituality counseling, and music and the expressive arts therapy, he felt equipped to open the doors of his wellness center in downtown San Francisco. But first, the nagging desire to include his other diverse areas of expertise in radio and television broadcasting, and the performing arts, led him to begin research on the impact of mass public awareness via the arts, media, and entertainment in developing edu-entertainment Holistic Health promotion campaigns at the workplace, in clinics, for communities and residential facilities, spiritual direction programs, schools and college campuses.
Njoroge's externship with the Health and Wellness Network Clinic of the Black Coalition on AIDS in San Francisco garnered him a pilot project grant to conduct sustainability 'Train-The-Trainer' seminars in the arts, media, and entertainment as an approach to Holistic Health Promotion.
Currently, Njoroge, aka "Dr. Imagination," is an independent contractor Researcher at Stanford, on a PBS Kids Study, training teachers and observing the effectiveness of media in literacy and science (proper nutrition). Njoroge's interfaith metaphysical ministry now focuses on building "secular" congregations of like-minded people interested in integral lifestyle management. He "preaches" a message of prevention and self-care in his core seminars: "The Power of Imagination," and "Different Ways of Being," which are infused with laughter, play, and creativity. He is often accompanied by his Celebration! Ensemble performance group. Njoroge offers one on one consultation, small group sessions, as well as an array of supportive activities and events at his virtual Holistic Cyber Clinic. He lectures monthly on Consciousness, Spirituality and Health at The Home of Truth Spiritual Center in Alameda, California, and is in his 23rd consecutive year producing 'Today's Encouraging Word', a 90-second inspirational telephone message that can be listened to 24-hours a day by dialing (415) 289-2050. Njoroge lives and works at his home in San Francisco, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as healthy, stress-free, quietly and simply as possible.
Njoroge lives and works at his home in San Francisco, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as healthy, stress-free, quietly and simply as possible.
Christine Garvin (2008) entered the HHE program hoping to create a new path for herself in the nutrition field, and came out only to return to her childhood loves: writing and dancing. But now, her writing encompasses all issues relating to health, either directly or indirectly. The HHE program gave her the foundation to understand not only different health modalities such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Energy Approaches, but also the fact that health is not about numbers, widgets, or even doing yoga.
She uses this knowledge as writer and editor of her health webzine, Living Holistically...with a sense of humor!, and as co-editor of the popular on-line travel spiritual travel magazine, Brave New Traveler (recently featured on 'The Colbert Report'). She has written for websites including Healthier Talk, alongside Dr. Mercola and Dr. Johnathan Wright, Mookychick, Cream Soda, and across the Matador Network. She has also written for print media, including Conscious Dancer.
"My biggest hope is that people will begin to understand that health is about realizing who we are as individuals. If we are honest, and kind, with ourselves - and attempt to leave the negative outside influences of the world behind - we get so much further along than by beating ourselves up with what we are not doing."
Vanessa Smith (2006) is a Wellness Coach and Intuitive who offers inspiring, educational programs through her business, Integrative Wellness Works. She is also an avid blogger at Let Your Life Bloom.
"I combine health, intuition, and coaching to help people create a strong foundation for an enjoyable life. When you're healthy, your energy increases and you become more effective in everything you do. When you follow the guidance of your intuition, you gain greater clarity, ease, and grace in your life. Coaching frames this process of getting clear and healthy, giving you the resources, tools, and perspectives to access your own answers. When you combine all of these together, you get the freedom and inner peace to live your life the way it best suits you. Your life wants to bloom, it's up to you to let it."
In addition to working on her business which started in 2003, she has also been Coordinator at the Holistic Health Learning Center and co-teacher of the Holistic Health Internship class at San Francisco State University, Wellness Consultant at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, massage therapist in Napa Valley resorts, volunteer health expert for Project Bridge at Laney College, Enrollment Counselor at the World School of Massage, Healthy Now Program Director for the South Yuba Club, Creative Director for Shape Shifters Pilates and Health, and more.
In the summer of 2009, Vanessa returned to JFKU as a faculty member, to teach Creating an Authentic Online Presence. Having utilized the Internet, online networking sites, and social media to grow her business, she has gained a number of skills that she feels passionate about sharing with other holistic health professionals. For more information on Vanessa's online media consulting, look for http://www.BloomtimeConsulting.com (coming soon)!
Sadie Chanlett-Avery (2009) arrived into the Holistic Health Education program after several years of teaching yoga. She wanted to put her knowledge of yoga and enthusiasm for fitness into a larger context of well-being. Using principles of holistic health her final project focused on critiquing the fitness industry and developing a new, integrative model of exercise. Currently she holds a personal training certification from the American College of Sports Medicine, is a certified Yoga TuneUp teacher and is completing a kettlebell certification.
Sadie currently serves as the "In-house Yogi" and personal trainer at the Clif Bar and Company employee gym. She teaches at yoga studios, gyms and serves private clients. She states, "HHE made me realize that exercise needs to be considered a holistic health modality just like acupuncture or herbal medicine. The image obsessed fitness industry needs a holistic understanding of health if we are ever going to fully utilize the preventive powers of exercise."
Nina Fry (2008) came to the HHE program as a doula (childbirth assistant) and was sure she wanted to use her HHE degree to pursue a career in childbirth education. Along the way, however, she discovered that she loved academia and was more interested in research than she ever realized. Nina wrote her final project on the concept of health identity and how we see ourselves in relationship to our health and what that means in terms of our overall well-being. Nina is fascinated by the human capacity to change, especially as it applies to the way we live and how that affects our health and health habits/choices.
Since finishing up her Masters in Holistic Health Education at JFK, Nina followed an academic and research oriented path, working at the Teleosis Institute as the Green Program Manager and the Clinical Research Coordinator at the Mind Body Medicine Research Group at California Pacific Medical Center. At Teleosis, Nina managed an 8-week online course called Leadership In Green Health Care which prepares health professionals to become leaders in the emerging discipline of Sustainable Medicine. She later became the Editorial Director of Symbiosis: The Journal of Ecologically Sustainable Medicine.
At the Mind Body Medicine Research Group, Nina has been managing a year long research project called the Spiritual Engagement Study which focuses on how engagement in spiritual practices and community influences people's psychological, physical and spiritual well-being.
Nina has continued her education by attending several trainings by the Center for Mind Body Medicine. She completed the Food as Medicine Training and is currently in the process of being certified by the Center in their Professional Training Program in Mind Body Medicine to become a group facilitator and individual practitioner in mind body medicine practices.
Rachel Cole (2008) lives to plan events that bring people back to the table to reconnect with food, themselves, and each other. She is the Program Director of 18 Reasons, a not-for-profit community center associated with the legendary Bi-Rite Market that engages community through memorable and engaging classes, events and tastings that center on food and art.
Prior to joining 18 Reasons, Rachel worked for Straus Communications, a public relations firm that specializes in the sustainable foods movement. She is also the creator of Edible San Francisco Magazine's Edible Pursuit, the city's first-ever food-themed trivia night series. In 2006, she made her mark in the Bay Area food scene with the creation of a community potluck series, called Grub, which inspired people of all ages to get back into the kitchen and break bread with their neighbors.
Rachel holds a Masters degree in Holistic Health Education with a focus on food reconnection. She lives in Oakland, California where she continues to procrastinate publishing her manifesto on porridge.
Lori Golden, MA, graduated from the HHE program in 2004 and is currently a holistic health professional, specializing in the healing practices of Acupressure, Hatha Yoga and Guided Imagery. Lori's integrative approach emphasizes whole-body wellness, focusing on stress and pain relief, increasing strength and flexibility, and nourishing the immune system. In addition to her Masters in Holistic Health Education, Lori is also a certified Massage Therapist from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, trained in Acu~Yoga at the Acupressure Institute, and a nationally certified Yoga Teacher through Integrative Yoga Therapy. Lori currently creates online web videos and podcasts for mind-body health at Hill Physicians Medical Group and teaches Self-acupressure and Acu-yoga classes at Kaiser Permanante. For information on class schedules and to download free podcasts, visit her website at: www.GoldenTransformation.com
Fall Ferguson, J.D., M.A. (2008) is a teacher, writer, coach, and activist. In her private practice as a health educator and coach, she works with individuals with a history of eating and body image issues. She emphasizes the Health At Every Size (HAES) approach of no dieting, intuitive eating, body acceptance, and joyful movement, and has dedicated her website, www.haescoach.com, to educating the public as well as potential clients about HAES. Fall has developed a series of HAES workshops that she plans to offer both in the Bay Area and via webinar.
Fall was the first HHE student to graduate with a specialization in somatic education. Her HAES work and her passion for somatics together fuel her current project: a book on body acceptance that will explore the heuristics of body image and feature interviews with individuals with a wide range of body experiences. One of her missions is to merge the transformative power of somatic exploration with her HAES work. "Somatic exploration is a virtually untapped gateway to body acceptance for many people who have never before been able to release the body hatred that has been ingrained by family and cultural patterns."
Fall teaches one of the core courses in the HHE program, entitled "The Collective Body," as adjunct faculty. Fall loves her role as teacher: "HHE students as a group are deeply committed to social justice and improving people's lives. They bring so much energy and drive to this course - it's exciting to see where our discussions will take us each week."
Fall has recently kept busy working on the lobbying efforts of the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). (Fall serves on ASDAH's Public Policy Committee). Fall is quick to point out that you don't have to lobby to be an activist: "Holistic health educators are activists whenever we move away from 'health' as a static, externally defined concept and advocate for a dynamic, personal, process-based concept of health. That is true grass roots activism."