Our Coach of the Month is Jenah McCarty, a 3rd year undergraduate public health student at the University of Iowa. Last fall was my first semester working as a coach with Healthy LifeStars, and I soon became involved with the Executive Committee for student advisory council.

When I first changed my major to public health, I was looking for a way to get involved with the college, and the community. When I first heard about Healthy LifeStars I knew that was something I would really enjoy being a part of. Their mission to inspire children to lead healthier lifestyles is something I personally aligned with immediately. I love how I was able to get connected with other coaches’ who share a similar passion for healthy lifestyles, as well as meet so many great kids, who love learning about how to stay healthy.

I spent my spring 2020 semester coaching at Lemme Elementary in Iowa City, I quickly connected with many of the students and faculty there. It was so rewarding to see the students get excited for weekly lessons, as well as to see their growth every week.

This summer I am taking my involvement with Healthy LifeStars a bit further in completing an experiential learning project with them. I am collaborating with a team to re-assess the materials used to evaluate Healthy LifeStars programming to ensure we’re getting the best feedback from everyone involved. I have already learned so much about the behind the scenes work of this organization and am excited to continue bettering the program overall.

I am excited to continue working with Healthy LifeStars as we navigate ways to keep our  programming effective through the COVID-19 pandemic.