1. What brought you to study Holistic Nutrition at IHN?

What brought me to study Holistic Nutrition at IHN is my personal experience with digestive issues, notably IBS. From a young age, I remember having a very sensitive stomach, but at the time I was under the impression that there was nothing I could do about it. I thought that I was simply one of the “unlucky” ones when it came to digestive health. A few years ago, when I took my first nutrition course in university, I was instantly captivated, and I used the knowledge acquired in that course to help heal my gut and improve my lifestyle habits. It opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, which is what the program at IHN continues to do as well.

2. What course has been your favourite so far, and why?

My favourite course so far has been NE009 Nutrition and the Environment. As someone who comes from a small agricultural town and who loves to garden, learning about soil health and ethical farming practices was extremely interesting. Also, the information and the topics covered in this course taught me what to look out for on product labels so that I can buy/make better products for my overall health. As a result of this course, I feel much more conscious, confident, and connected to my environment.

3. Describe your best experience at IHN so far?

My favourite experience at IHN so far has been relaying the information that I have learned to help those in my community. Every course has been extremely interesting, inspiring, and useful. Although I’m partaking in the online self-paced format, I don’t feel isolated at all because there is always a way to connect with others, whether it is talking to friends and family, posting in the online communities, engaging with social media posts, registering for a webinar, and more!

4. What professions have you worked in prior to enrolling at IHN?

Prior to enrolling at IHN, I worked as an administrative assistant at a physiotherapy clinic. Freshly graduated from the University of Ottawa, this was a great opportunity to meet new people, learn more about Canada’s health care system, and gain exposure to a multidisciplinary environment. Also, I’ve worked as a part-time French teacher for children ages 5-13, which has been an incredible opportunity to examine and track child development, to strengthen my ability to convey information, and to preserve my French skills.

5. What degrees or academic achievements did you have prior to IHN?

Prior to IHN, I graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences. I chose this school because I wanted to pursue my postsecondary studies in French. This program was very broad, which allowed me to explore many different branches of health and wellness. During my time there, I joined the university’s health promotion and education team, where I spent several hours per week informing students on the health resources offered on campus. We also organized our own events, such as zootherapy sessions, light therapy sessions for seasonal affective disorder, sexual health presentations, and more.

6. What are your goals/aspirations as a CNP?

As a CNP, my goal would be to specialize in prenatal and postnatal nutrition. I would love to work with women throughout their pregnancies as well as during their “fourth trimester.” Seeing my older sisters go through their pregnancies grew my fascination for this demographic. Nutrition can be extra challenging and intimidating during pregnancy due to the potential vulnerabilities, deficiencies, and complications that exist. It can be quite overwhelming, therefore my role would be to alleviate their stress, pressure, discomfort, sickness, confusion, etc. as much as possible. Furthermore, what I love about the Holistic Nutrition program and the CNP certification is that it will not only allow me to help others, but also to support my future family. As someone who may start their family in a few years, I believe that this program will help me become a wiser, more confident, and more knowledgeable parent. Further down the line, another goal of mine would be to open up a bistro with a greenhouse, so that many of our ingredients are procured on site. It would be amazing to work with a team of nutritionists, culinary artists, and local farmers to create a diverse menu.

7. What has been your personal best achievement?

I believe that my personal best achievement was going from a terrible GPA in my first year of university to an excellent one by the time I graduated. I used to get good grades in high school, so I was naïve and believed that university would be a piece of cake. I was so wrong. As someone who hates being in trouble, getting an email about academic probation was a wake up call that I needed to try harder. I found better friends, listened and studied more actively, and stopped procrastinating. Now, I can definitely say that I am proud of my university career and that my degree in Health Sciences has supported me throughout my Holistic Nutrition program.

8. What is something you overcame in your life, that you didn’t think you could?

One thing that I overcame in life is learning to accept failure. This took many years to overcome. Although I knew that failure was inevitable and that everyone experiences it, I always handled it poorly and I would talk to myself in a very destructive manner. This led to me becoming progressively more avoidant, insecure, and afraid of commitment. With the help of amazing friends and family, a strong faith, and a lot of self-reassurance, I was able to overcome this fear of failure. Now, I can see that each failure is a lesson, and that failure breeds success.

9. What is something about you that would surprise people?

Something interesting about me is that I love planning and designing events. I love planning birthday parties, baby showers, dinner parties, and more. I enjoy all parts of the process, such as communicating with different vendors, allocating tasks, sketching out designs, and making floral arrangements. I even planned my own wedding in 5 months, which was an incredible experience. I hope to utilize my planning skills throughout my career by creating nutrition events and/or workshops in the future.