Jenna Carroll recently completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy at Endeavour College in NSW and was awarded the accolade of Student Practitioner of the Year, in the highly sought after ATMS Natural Medicine Awards.
We caught up with Jenna to find out more about her journey to become an accredited practitioner.
What originally led you to study this type of natural medicine?
My interest in natural medicine came after I had to cut short my time as a Ballerina due to an injury. I have always been in tune with my body as a dancer, however going through this journey of recovery created a passion for holistic healing.
I have always felt very connected to plants and herbal medicine and this is really what drove me to focus on Nutrition and Naturopathy in my studies.
Why are you passionate about herbal medicine?
I am passionate about herbal medicine, because it helped me so much in my own healing. I also saw it help my family immensely when growing up.
During my time in the student clinic, I have observed the positive impact complementary medicines have on people’s lives. An integrative approach and bringing together different therapies – makes magic happen. To be able to see such a profound and positive change in client’s health from the use of these therapies – makes me go wow!
Tell us about the degree you completed, your favourite pieces and what you enjoyed the most.
I loved most being around like-minded people – finding a community of peers you can geek out with. This is what I cherished the most and I’m so grateful to have made so many life-long friends.
I enjoyed the feeling of self-empowerment; learning about human biology and chemistry and different forms of evidence-based medicine.
The student clinic experience was a real highlight, after I overcame my nerves at the beginning. You’re in a pretty high-stress environment because you’re being observed with clients, however once you get more confident – it is a really supportive and invaluable way of getting practical experience. I now feel in a really strong position to go out and help people.
What does the future look like for you – what are your plans?
I am a huge advocate for the holistic principles of naturopathy, and preventative and individualised medicine. Now I have graduated I want to continue educating the community on nutrition and natural medicine through my social media platforms and business, whilst nurturing and supporting people’s health in clinical practice.
Before I decide on my next steps though, I am going to take some time out to consider my next move – the first piece being a visit to a silent retreat. I expect to gain some inner intelligence and personal reflection from this experience.
What did it mean to you to win Student Practitioner of the Year?
Receiving the award was a big surprise and I feel grateful to be a part of an industry who recognises talent and success. It’s a huge honour, however I feel like everyone who graduated this course deserves this recognition – it is a challenging experience.
The last 5 years have been amazing, and I cherish the life-long friends I have made at Endeavour. I feel empowered with all I have learned about human biology and chemistry, and thankful I had the opportunity to practice in the student clinic to prepare me for clinical practice.
If you want to connect with Jenna Carroll, you can follow her on Instagram @Healthalchemist