ELEVATED LEARNING ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- RECEPTION & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
As an administrative assistant, Bonnie brings a unique blend of skills and a genuine passion for fostering well-rounded growth and well-being among students and staff. She possesses a wealth of experience in managing complex administrative tasks, strong organizational abilities, attention to detail, and adeptness at multitasking which ensure smooth operations and efficient workflow. Bonnie is committed to providing exemplary support to both students and faculty, maintaining an atmosphere conducive to learning and collaboration.
In addition to her administrative expertise, Bonnie has a deep knowledge of holistic nutrition and its impact on overall well-being. She believes that supporting the mind and body through proper nutrition and movement is the key to living a long and happy life.
Beyond the confines of the office, Bonnie nurtures her love for yoga and the outdoors. As a certified yoga instructor, she understands the importance of mindfulness, stress reduction, and physical well-being. Outside of work, Bonnie indulges in her passion for live music, camping, and spending time in the Rocky Mountains, finding inspiration and rejuvenation in the great outdoors.
Bonnie is dedicated to supporting the success and well-being of the ELA community, making a positive impact on the educational journey of students and the overall campus experience.
Brandon began his education at Grande Prairie Regional College in the Fitness Leadership program, and after finishing his diploma, transferred to the University of Alberta to complete a Kinesiology degree with a major in sport performance.
After spending time as a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the U of A, Brandon transitioned into clinical rehabilitation. He believes that exercise, whether it is for sport performance or rehabilitation, is an important foundation of health. He is excited to add his experience and knowledge to the staff of Elevated Learning Academy.
Brandon is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator with the National Strength & Conditioning Association and is a Personal Trainer with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology. He is also a member of the Alberta Kinesiology Association.
Brandon is an avid runner, having spent five years of his varsity career as part of the GPRC Wolves and U of A Golden Bears running teams. He currently runs for the Running Room Athletic Club.
Job Titles:
- PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR
Crystal has been involved in sports her whole life. As such, it was very fitting for her to pursue a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. While studying at the University of Calgary, Crystal had the opportunity to start working as a personal trainer, which sparked her passion to aid people in pursuing their health, fitness and performance goals.
Since starting as a personal trainer (over 10 years ago), Crystal has held several related positions including being a strength and conditioning coach, sport scientist, youth wellness leader, and kinesiology lab instructor.
Most recently, Crystal has obtained a Masters degree from the University of Alberta, in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. She is now excited to share her passion, experience, and knowledge with those who are beginning their journeys to become personal trainers.
Job Titles:
- PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR
A deep curiosity for learning and a strong will to become a lifelong student of the human body has allowed Daniel to find fulfillment in supporting people who want to move and feel better. As a former professional basketball player, Daniel has first-hand experience performing at a high level and also managing the frustration that results from the physical disfunction that performance training can cause.
Instead of living in frustration, Daniel chose to seek solutions for his pain by becoming a Personal Fitness Trainer and deep diving into biomechanics, regenerative movement and esoteric energy systems so that he could overcome his own disfunction, while also supporting those seeking to improve their human experience through movement freedom.
As a Personal Fitness Trainer of 7 years, Daniel has been fortunate enough to work with a multitude of practitioners from Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Registered Nutritionists, and Pranayama Facilitators, among others, to gain a broad understanding of wellness and performance holistically. Daniel aims to lead with this holistic lens in his personal life, as a Personal Fitness Trainer and also as an Instructor, which allows for a rich path to ongoing inquiry and discovery!
Job Titles:
- CANNABIS and HEALTH SPECIALIST DIPLOMA CURRICULUM DEVELOPER and INSTRUCTOR
In addition to building and delivering a large component of ELA's Cannabis and Health Specialist Diploma curriculum, Dr. O'Sullivan has also been a professor at the University of Nottingham since 2002 and is also an independent scientific advisor and consultant to companies and education specialists in the cannabis based medicine industry (including Artelo Biosciences, Therapix Biosciences, Dragonfly Biosciences, Elevated Learning Academy). To add to these various commitments, Dr. O'Sullivan is also a Board member and Secretary of the International Cannabinoid Research Society.
Jarred has been with Elevated Learning Academy since 2011 but his journey in the fitness industry spans 20 years. He has worn many hats - Personal Trainer, Fitness Manager, Instructor, Education Delivery Manager, and now General Manager. He recently finished his 200hr Yoga Teacher Training. Education and continuous personal and professional improvement is something Jarred is very passionate about. He continually works with the instructors from all the ELA programs to delivery an amazing education experience for all students. As an instructor Jarred enjoys teaching the practical application of the theories in the Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma program to allow students to have as many tools and experiences possible to be successful.
Job Titles:
- CANNABIS and HEALTH SPECIALIST DIPLOMA CURRICULUM LEAD & INSTRUCTOR
In addition to being a cannabis educator, Jeananne has been a Calgary clinical herbalist since 2005. She has Master and Clinical Herbalist Diplomas from Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. Seeing the emergence of medical cannabis in 2016, Jeananne sought to learn more about the humble herb, but found there to be a lack of courses on how to use cannabis for medical purposes.
Understanding that her fellow herbalists would need to know about this plant, Jeananne created the Cannabis Medicine for Herbalists Certificate, which to date has been taught to over 400 students. Jeananne has also co-written cannabis courses with Dr. Richa Love of CannU.ca, and Dr. Terry Willard of Wild Rose College.
In addition to Jeananne's online clinical practice, she is a medical cannabis educator at Harvest Medicine in Calgary, is a founding member and past President of the Alberta Herbalists Association, and served for many years as a board member with the Canadian Council of Herbal Associations.
Job Titles:
- APPLIED NUTRITION SCIENCE DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR
Josh began his nutrition career earning his UK AfN, Registered Associate Nutritionist accreditation and attaining an MSc Nutrition from the University of Leeds. Prior to that he graduated with a Distinction from the University of Hull in Sport, Health and Exercise Science. In his application of nutrition, Josh's approach is informed by his academic experience and expertise in these two complementary fields.
He has previously worked in public health and privately coaches his own clients as a nutritionist. He takes great pride and fulfillment in helping others improve their understanding of nutrition and their quality of life.
Being from Yorkshire, Josh will talk your ear off about football and other competitive sports when he isn't doing so about nutrition. He moved to Canada in 2019 after falling in love with the Canadian Rockies and the incredible nature here.
Julie's background is in business, facilitation, and education. She is passionate about merging the gap between academics and industry, where that learning is to eventually be utilized. Her goal is to develop a platform that will not only provide education in an engaging and accessible way, but also for that education to meet the demands of employers.
Julie has led the Elevated Learning Academy team since 2011 and has been involved with all aspects of its operations, from curriculum development to facilities management. It is her goal to ensure that ELA's students receive an engaging, current and quality education, and that coming to class is the best part of their day.
Job Titles:
- STUDENT RELATIONS COORDINATOR
Karine is a graduate of a prestigious private University in Brazil - Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), with bachelor's in business administration. She has over 5 years of experience working in the education industry and has worked for over 10 years in client relations. All this experience amounted to her helping thousands of students to achieve their goals in post secondary education. She has a love for health and sports, as she grew up playing every team sport under the sun.
Karine is really excited to help students grow and achieve their goals and can't wait to share her experience with you.
Job Titles:
- NUTRITION SCIENCE DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR
Kaylynne is a Registered Dietitian and graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island's Nutrition Science program and the University of Victoria's Masters of Public Health program with a specialization in Social Policy. As an elite athlete throughout high school and university, Kaylynne developed an interest in nutrition science and how the food you eat can influence and fuel athletic performance. While this interest introduced her to the world of dietetics, she discovered that her true passion was helping others live happier and healthier lives on a broader scale through population health strategies and creating greater access to nutrition and health services, particularly in underprivileged populations. Kaylynne has gained incredible experience working with diverse populations in chronic disease management and diabetes education while working in Northwest Territories. While she is no longer a national team athlete, she continues to love exercise in all forms. She can be annoyingly optimistic and is a self-proclaimed personal-growth junkie. She's excited to be part of the ELA team and works hard to inspire students to pursue work in the nutrition industry with unrelenting passion and a genuine love for helping others reach their health goals.
Job Titles:
- APPLIED NUTRITION SCIENCE DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR & CURRICULUM LEAD
Megan is a graduate of University of Alberta's Integrated Dietetic Internship Program, with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. She also holds an international certificate in Personal Training with PTA global. She grew up active and was an avid soccer player until she met the gym, and fell in love. She received her AFLCA certification, not too long after her PTA Global designation.
Working as a private personal trainer, Megan was inspired to find a way to marry both, proper nutrition and physical activity. Megan was led into Nutrition by a natural passion for food, physical activity and healthy living. Thrilled to be on the ELA's teams, Megan believes that everyone should be well educated in Nutrition, because at the end of the day, we all need to eat!
Job Titles:
- PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER DIPLOMA INSTRUCTOR
Ryan has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, with a minor in Ergonomics and Injury Prevention. He is committed to excellence in his field and stays current with continuous upgrading of his professional skills. As part of the ELA team, Ryan is excited to help students develop the knowledge and skills to be effective and successful personal fitness trainers.
For nearly a decade, Ryan has worked closely with clients, of all ages and skill levels, to evaluate and improve their physical well-being. His philosophy focuses on integrating strong science with flexible individual programming. As the owner of a Canadian Powerlifting Union Certified Training Center, he coached provincial and national champions in powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting.
Always wanting to learn and have new experiences, Sarah is a dedicated professional who brings a unique blend of skills to her work.
Her diversified background makes her a valuable asset in assisting students toward their dream path. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Psychology and a minor in Law and Society from the University of British Columbia. Additionally, she obtained an Honours Diploma in Professional Photography from the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts).
Sarah has developed exceptional communication skills, a client-centered approach, and a passion for helping individuals achieve their career goals. Her background in behavior intervention, coupled with her leadership roles in various organizations, showcases her ability to provide personalized guidance, support, and strategic planning to help individuals successfully navigate their career transitions.
Being an avid advocate for work-life balance and enjoying life to the fullest, you will find Sarah camping up in the mountains on weekends. She puts tremendous effort into assisting each of ELA's students with building resumes, interview skills and assisting alumni in their job search. She looks forward to helping you along your career journey!