Do you know a GVSU faculty or staff member who serves as a role model for others living a healthy lifestyle? Nominate your co worker for our next newsletter!

In May 2017, Jim Bell - theatre professor in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance—decided he needed to make a lifestyle change in order to stay active and engaged in activities he loves, like hiking, biking, and walking. This prompted him to sign up with a Priority Health wellness coach offered through Grand Valley’s benefit plan, and he has not looked back since. Read more about Jim.

As a mother of four (ages 15, 13, 11 and 8) who actively practices yoga and mindfulness, Jennifer Schick has learned to let go of the expectation of perfection, which has helped her to be a stronger person for herself and for those around her. Read more about Jennifer.

Carolyn Clayton, director of annual giving for University Development, has a holistic definition of good health. She aims for not only good nutrition, sleep, and exercise but also for healthy relationships and a stable faith community. When she senses an imbalance, she is quick to identify and fix it because she believes an imbalance in one area impacts all of the others. Read more about Carolyn.

The Statistics Department is the newest Certified Healthy Department at GVSU. Kay Hart, Office Coordinator, spoke on behalf of the department on how they created a fun, active, and empowering atmosphere encouraging each other to make healthy choices on a daily basis. Read more about the Statistics Department.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult, especially being a parent. For Yumi Jakobcic, taking advantage of the opportunities GVSU has to offer has helped her stay active, healthy, and sane in transitioning to a life with kids. Read more about Yumi.

When Dan’s first child was born, he found himself taking her to and from various medical centers. His daughter, Emerson, spent the first six months of her life wearing a helmet and going to physical therapy because of how her skull was developing. After no improvement, they discovered that Emerson had been misdiagnosed. Read more about Dan.

Last summer, Janet knew something wasn’t right. She fell ill after coming home from a vacation in March, but “could never quite shake it.” Her health coach helped her through the frustrating process of finding out what could be wrong, and "was a kind and thoughtful ear when, by chance, I really needed it.” Read more about Janet.

The School of Computing and Information Systems, Office of Sustainability Practices, Center for Adult and Continuing Education, and the Department of Movement Science have been recognized in their efforts in 2017 to help Grand Valley take another step towards becoming the Healthiest Campus in Michigan. Read more about Certified Healthy Departments.

Scott Ayotte, Director of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, grew up in a household where exercise and overall health wasn’t a priority. As a result, his family received a wake-up call about 6 years ago when his father had a stroke. This “impacted the entire family when it comes to lifestyles and healthy choices. I was able to see firsthand what some of the consequences are of certain lifestyles. It really shocked the conscience.” Read more about Scott.

“It’s not a matter of age, it’s a matter of choices you make along the way.”

Priscilla Kimboko seemed to have the health cards stacked against her. The stress from a demanding job along with genetic predispositions to things like heart problems, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure would be enough for many people to throw their hands up in defeat. However, the experience of caring for her late husband, her current job as a professor in health and aging, and her health coach, Betsy, made Priscilla aware of what really matters to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Read more about Priscilla.