Our blog writers are embarking on a quest to interview nutrition educators working for Cornell Cooperative Extension across New York State.
Each educator has a unique perspective on their work, and how their work has influenced their own life choices. Healthy eating and living is a shared goal of the blog, our writers, these educators, and the nutrition programs they represent. It is our hope that these interviews will inspire, motivate, and celebrate the benefits of healthy choices.
The educator spotlight interviews will appear roughly once a month. Enjoy reading!
“You teach people to make the most of their money and budget. Exemplify this as an educator. Show people it is doable.”
Heather has been working at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County for the past three years. She is part of a two-person team that oversees nutrition education in this region. However, Heather’s connection to CCE goes back to her childhood. Heather grew up in Chautauqua County where she was involved in the 4-H Program as a kid. Her father was also a dairy farmer who received support from the agriculture initiative. During college, Heather interned at the Clinton County CCE. While she chose to pursue a degree in journalism, she would eventually find herself involved with CCE again.
Heather spent much of her life as a “domestic engineer”, raising a family. She also pursued a certification in yoga instruction. As her kids got older, Heather remembered her love for agriculture and wanted to make a difference within the community. That’s why she applied to be a CCE nutrition educator.
Heather's View on Teaching
For Heather, her job as a nutrition educator is a calling. CCE is an important part of her life, and this job represents a “coming home” of sorts. Heather is passionate about showing people that they can live a healthy life on a budget.
Heather understands that participants are often in difficult living situations and they may not be able to prioritize nutrition education. The hardest part of the job is accepting that connecting with someone when they are in the right place in their lives to receive and utilize the information is often rare. She wants participants to know that she is empathetic and willing to work with them, so they get the most out of her classes. In fact, Heather once received a speeding ticket because she had to rush to her next appointment after taking the time to provide a participant with extra food at a class.
Heather's Approach to Teaching
Heather aims to make her classes conversational. She wants participants to think about their current habits and figure out where they can make small changes for a healthier life. Based on those goals, Heather can adapt the lesson plan to make the classes relevant to participants.
Due to COVID-19, Heather has had to adapt her teaching style for online learning. However, she does her best to bring an in-person element to online teaching. For example, this spring Heather worked with a group of special needs students and their teachers that she has taught for the last three years. Usually, she would cook food with the class. With the switch to online learning, she dropped off supplies and the special education teachers prepped recipes with the students while she provided the nutritional content via Zoom.
Heather acknowledges that this class is a unique case where other individuals can lead the food preparation. But, across all her classes, she understands a “PowerPoint presentation is a PowerPoint presentation”. This has pushed her to be creative. For example, Heather uses several interactive models that utilize household items to demonstrate nutrition concepts.
Heather's Hobbies
Outside of work, Heather is very active. She loves yoga, running, and boxing. Heather is also currently working on a massive personal project. She is restoring a 150+ year old barn and hopes to turn it into a respite facility for special needs children and their families. Finally, Heather is skilled at arts and crafts. She loves to create custom greeting cards and apparel. As seen above, Heather designs apparel for her fellow employees at CCE. We look forward to seeing what Heather creates next!
