Name: Christie Federico
Hometown: Ridgewood, New Jersey
Major: Professional Counseling with a Mental Health Concentration
Year: Graduate Student
Involvement: President of The Clean Eating Club, Executive Board for Chi Sigma Iota, and a member of the International Counseling Honor Society
Fun Fact: Taught herself guitar
Favorite Quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou
Christie Federico is a woman on fire — owning her own business, going to graduate school, working two side gigs, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, she is a woman any girl could look up to. Christie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Penn State. She is now working on a Master’s in Nutrition here at WPUNJ. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with. She has recently decided to start a new club here at WPUNJ, The Clean Eating Club. With the new fad of clean eating making its way across the United States, the Clean Eating Club is sure to make a bang and change the way people look at healthy eating.
HC: Why did you want to start up a new club, such as the Clean Eating Club, at WPUNJ? What made you decide that this was something you wanted to add to your hectic schedule?
CF: I’ve become so passionate about a healthy, holistic lifestyle, with an emphasis on healthy eating, and I love sharing my knowledge with new people. I realized that starting a club could be a great opportunity to reach a large audience, so I looked into if there was already a similar club and there wasn’t. I decided that going the extra mile to start the club would be worth it because I have the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives and their health. I’m on a mission to show them that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring, expensive, or tasteless.
HC: What do you hope for the future of this club? What sets it apart from other clubs on campus and what kind of activities do you think this club will try to do?
CF: I’m hoping for steady growth in order to really impact a lot of people. What sets it apart from other clubs is the emphasis on healthy eating; as I mentioned earlier, no other club like this exists. The great thing about healthy eating is that it has so many benefits on not only people’s physical attributes but their minds as well. I don’t think many people see this correlation, and it is another huge thing I want to raise awareness for. I think there is a lot of potential for some fun activities such as “clean eating challenges” where we can all start with the same food items and create our own healthy snacks or meals with them, and see what we come up with. It can force students to be creative and have some fun with healthy eating. We also will be having a bake sale with healthy, fresh Gluten Free baked goods to raise money for Celiac Association and related organizations. I hope to be collaborating with the Kinesiology Club and Yoga & Meditation club for some fun events too. Any events that allow people to have fun with healthy eating and learn about its benefits at the same time. I also hope to be able to make changes in the food that is offered at the school!
HC: What kind of advice would you give to someone who wishes to have a healthier lifestyle, especially college students?
CF: My advice is to start small. Small changes can make a big difference. Making too many changes right away can be overwhelming, and isn’t typically sustainable. Small changes can mean adding some more fruits and vegetables per day, eating one less fast food meal a week, adding a salad to meals, etc. Another small change might be being conscious of what you put in your body. Little by little as your knowledge grows, you make small changes in how you go about buying food, like looking at ingredients, and making meal decisions.
HC: You have a lot going on in your life, what keeps you motivated?
CF: The most motivating thing to me is helping people feel better about themselves and their lives. Knowing that all the hard work I put into my extracurricular activities and schooling will allow me to do so is extremely motivating to me.
HC: Why did you decide to attend WPUNJ?
CF: I wanted to attend a school in New Jersey for financial purposes, so that was a priority for me. I also was set on getting my Masters in Counseling which isn’t offered at too many schools. I knew WPUNJ had a great reputation and was accredited by CACREP, which is very important for my field. Lastly, I wanted to start in the spring semester because it worked better with my schedule, so all of these things led me to WPUNJ’s program.
HC: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
CF: I see myself having a successful private practice as Dr. Federico, helping people be their best selves and making positive changes in their lives. I also hope to have a husband and family by that time, too.
HC: If you were to give your younger-self a piece of advice, what would it be?
CF: I would tell my younger self not to stress so much about the future because everything tends to work itself out. It’s important to live in the moment and have faith in what will be.