9 Students Graduate from Phoenixville Health Leadership Academy

PHOENIXVILLE, PA -- The 2016 Phoenixville Community Health Leadership Academy graduated nine students from its 10 week program on November 18, they announced in a press release Wednesday.

These additions now make over 120 graduates since the Leadership Academy launched in 2003, according to the Foundation.

The graduates include: Lisa Westfall, Melinda Izzo, Jeanne Schanzenbach, Cailin Coolbaugh, Victoria O’Neill, Terry Hall, Erica Murphy, Kristen McGee (not pictured above), and Erica Klinedinst.

The Academy was designed, and is implemented, by the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation. Some of the needs that the students wanted to address during this program include the rehabilitation of a beloved school, to diet, nutrition and exercise, to reading and education, to overcoming personal challenges, and fresh starts, the Foundation said.

In the weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, the students learned about diversity, ethics, citizenship, project management, planning, and public speaking all while developing an individual community service project.

The Leadership Academy was founded on the belief that the more people get involved in the community for the purpose of positive change, the stronger and healthier the community will be. 89% of the students reported they have seen a change in the way they navigate professional and personal situations.

According to their website, the mission of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation is to "improve the health and quality of life for people in the greater Phoenixville region by increasing access to quality healthcare services and promoting healthy communities through grant-making and collaborations with health, civic, business and community partners."

Image courtesy Phoenixville Community Health Foundation.