FMCA Community Impact Scholarship Recipients For September 2024 Announced

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, in partnership with the Institute for Functional Medicine, is proud to introduce the winners of our first-ever FMCA Community Impact Scholarships. Thanks in part to a generous grant from VoLo Foundation, we are able to offer scholarship funding to cover the cost of tuition for five individuals to join our September 2024 Health Coach Certification Program class.

As we reviewed the 460+ applications we received, we were inspired by all the creative ways people use their strengths to uplift their communities. In the end, we selected five individuals to receive scholarships, and now we are thrilled to introduce these inspiring professionals to the FMCA community. Each of them is already doing important work to expand access to health and well-being to communities in need, and with their Functional Medicine Health Coach training in coaching techniques, mind-body medicine, nutrition, and more, they’ll be able to make an ever greater impact.

We believe all communities stand to benefit from functional medicine and health coaching, but today, not all communities are able to access these benefits. If we really want to revolutionize healthcare, we need everyone to be part of our revolution. These five scholarship recipients are leading the way, breaking down barriers and bringing sustainable healthy lifestyle change to new populations. We’re thrilled to welcome them to our program and can’t wait to get going in September.

Learn about each of our scholarship recipients below.

Shavonne Lewis

Over Shavonne’s 15+ year career, she has served as a leader and trusted advisor in areas including strategic communications, brand leadership, and organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also facilitates healing-focused small groups for women and recently launched the “‘Getting Unstuck’ Processing Journal for Healing” as a therapeutic tool for individuals going through life transitions.

Shavonne’s Community Impact:

Shavonne plans to use her Functional Medicine Health Coach training to work with disabled communities of color. In her current role, she serves an incredibly diverse population in terms of ability, ethnicity, and languages spoken. She seeks to remove the barriers that currently make it difficult for them to access care, education, and tools that could improve their quality of life. She also hopes to help her fellow members of faith communities connect their spirituality with their physical health, helping them view themselves as holistic and integrated parts of God’s creation.

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Mónica Aguilar Alvarez

Mónica has a passion for helping people reach their utmost potential. She specializes in the inclusion of people with disabilities and works as a volunteer with pregnant women in a state of vulnerability. Mónica also uses her masters in family sciences to advocate for family values. A longtime follower of Functional Medicine, it was her own experience with cancer that called her to help others take control over their health through healthy lifestyle changes.

Mónica’s Community Impact:

Mónica works with people of all walks of life: patients with high economic resources who can afford a whole team of Functional Medicine specialists. Low-income survivors of sexual violence who are receiving job training that will enable them to transform their situations. Families of people with disabilities who dream about providing their disabled loved one the resources they need to live a full life. Mónica plans to integrate her Functional Medicine Health Coach Certification to into her work with these communities, connecting them with comprehensive well-being that supports their optimal development.

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Ikaika Molina

As Chef Health Coach with the transformative Chef Coach Program, Ikaika specializes in the integration of whole, unprocessed foods for preventive and therapeutic purposes. He collaborates with a multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide personalized nutrition guidance and hands-on cooking instruction that empowers individuals to make sustainable dietary changes. Ikaika continuously hones his expertise, participating in trainings through groups like the Metabolic Health Summit and the Epilepsy Foundation.

Ikaika’s Community Impact:

Ikaika seeks to use his Functional Medicine Health Coach Certification to further empower people to achieve their wellness goals. In addition to his Chef Coach roles, he is also a personal chef who works with caregivers and clients managing various diseases as well as with individuals seeking to enhance their performance. He works within Na Pu’uwai, the Native Hawaiian Healthcare System, and provides mentorship to at-risk youth on Molokai island through the Queen Liliokulani Trust’s Ho’okanaka Program. He also hopes to collaborate with mission-driven organizations that will enable him to scale up his health coaching business and reach a broader audience.

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Deborah Goodie

Across Deborah’s 30+ year career as a clinical registered dental hygienist with a Masters of Public Health, preventive health practices have been at the forefront of her journey. She obtained specialized training in Orofacial Myology and has been a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health for many years. Her passions include discovering the root causes of chronic health conditions and working with individuals on their own health journeys.

Deborah’s Community Impact:

Deborah works with two Alaskan populations that have limited access to oral health care and primary care: those who are unable to afford or access care due to lack of affordable options and those in long-term care facilities, both older adults and adults with moderate-severe physical and mental disabilities. These groups are largely unable to afford high-quality foods and beverages, which can be harder to access in Alaska, and many also live in rural areas with no healthcare facilities. Deborah plans to bring her Functional Medicine Health Coaching to these rural communities by leveraging the Federal Internet for All initiative, which will make it easier to access online services such as telehealth and online educational and economic opportunities.

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Barbara A. Soniat, MSW, Ph.D.

For over 30 years, Health Care Sciences and social work educator Dr. Barbara held academic positions at Catholic University of America, George Washington University Medical Center, and Howard University. The focus of her academic career was teaching, research, and practice related to health and psychosocial needs of older adults. Now retired, she remains a lifelong learner with passions for reading, international travel, advocacy for vulnerable populations, health promotion, community service, and social justice.

Dr. Barbara’s Community Impact:

When Dr. Barbara began to care for her elderly mother in Southeast Louisiana, she became acutely aware of health disparities not just as a research construct, but as a lived experience. She currently holds several roles, including certified lay minister, certified long-term care ombudsman (an advocate for the rights of residents of nursing homes), and coordinator of a faith-based health promotions ministry/program, which she hopes to expand. Her current coaching experiences include a church-based “Kids in the Kitchen and Garden” program and an annual Pre-Holiday Fitness Challenge.

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The September 2024 Class Is Growing

We are thrilled to welcome Shavonne, Mónica, Ikaika, Deborah, and Barbara to FMCA’s growing student body. As they complete our Health Coach Certification Program and become FMCA Alumni, their impact on the health and wellness of their communities will only increase.

If you’re wondering if now’s the time to start making an impact with functional medicine and health coaching, let this be your invitation to join us. The September 2024 class is waiting for you—let’s break down barriers to accessible functional medicine health coaching together. Who knows, you might even see one of our five scholarship recipients in your Live Training Sessions each week…

About VoLo Foundation

VoLo Foundation is a private nonprofit organization with a mission “to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health” and a vision for a “planet where all beings are ensured access to a sustainable and clean environment, health services, and education.”