Welcome, Amanda Phipps

Please join us in welcoming Amanda Phipps to the Healthy Acadia team! 

Amanda joins our team for the summer months as Community Health Intern. She will be partnering with Healthy Acadia’s youth engagement team to explore the impacts of Down East Teen Leadership Camp.

Originally from Downeast Maine, Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Maine at Machias and Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate from Washington County Community College. She is also a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is on track to earn a Master of Public Health from Southern New Hampshire University in 2024.

Amanda, what prompted you to join the Healthy Acadia team?

I am a Master of Public Health graduate student at Southern New Hampshire University and my graduate program requires an internship at a public health organization. I grew up in Downeast Maine and knew about some of Healthy Acadia's great work in the area. I wanted to be part of the positive impact that Healthy Acadia has on the health of our local communities.

What most inspires you about Healthy Acadia's work? 

Healthy Acadia inspires me by being active and impactful in so many aspects of a healthy community. Having a wonderful and widespread team with many diverse members who all bring their own strengths and talents to the table is an amazing asset for this organization and the communities they serve. I am impressed by the breadth of work they do, from lifting up individuals in recovery, to addressing infrastructure to support active living, to connecting elders with services they may need, to bringing nutrition education into schools - it is really amazing! I am glad to be a part of this public health organization.

What most inspires you on a personal level?

I am inspired by people who thrive on their own personal health journeys, when they learn about the ways they can affect their health and implement healthy lifestyle choices like physical activity and balanced nutrition. It is wonderful to see people take control of their lives for better health!

What is your favorite thing to do, or place to be, in Maine, and why?

I love nature, and the beauty of Maine. I feel fortunate to live in Maine every day! I love hiking and biking along the coast, from Downeast to the Midcoast. I appreciate having the Downeast Sunrise Trail and the Bold coast trails to use when I am in the Downeast area, and the La Verna Preserve to explore when on the Pemaquid Peninsula. I also love that there is so much activity surrounding the arts that bring people together: live music, art walks, and festivals! We have so wonderful small communities that make Maine a wonderful place to live.

I am an artist, focusing on drawing, painting, and recently, stained glass. I love gardening, growing flowers, and I grow a vegetable garden to eat from every year. I also play guitar and sing. I have two kids and a wonderful partner who is a bluefin tuna fisherman out of Portland, ME.