ACHS Grad Receives 2018 DEAC Outstanding Grad Award

FROM: Lauren Shapiro, Press Coordinator

DATE: May 17, 2018

American College of Healthcare Sciences MS in Aromatherapy Graduate Lisa Donaldson Receives 2018 DEAC Outstanding Graduate Award

Portland, Ore.— May 17, 2018 — Lisa Donaldson, American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) graduate and aromatherapist from Georgetown, Maine, has received the DEAC’s 2018 Outstanding Graduate of the Year award.

The DEAC Outstanding Graduate of the Year award celebrates the achievements of distance education students who have demonstrated academic excellence and consistent commitment to society and their chosen profession(s). Donaldson’s profile will be published in the 2018 DEAC Outstanding Graduate and Famous Alumni booklet circulated across DEAC-accredited institutions, and she will be a featured speaker at ACHS’s 2018 graduation ceremony in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 12.

“I have been able to use my education to help a lot of people in this area of Maine,” Donaldson says. “I have a clinical aromatherapy practice, and I’m able to use my skills and knowledge to support the health of so many of my neighbors.” (Donaldson speaks about her work as a clinical aromatherapist in her tight-knit community here:

Donaldson completed her Master of Science in Aromatherapy with ACHS in 2017, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and Honors. In 2018, she has continued with ACHS to work toward her second master’s degree, the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine. Donaldson is a National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) Level 3 Certified Clinical Aromatherapist (NCCA), the Northeast Region Representative for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA), and an active professional member of AIA.

Donaldson is the “go-to” expert for everything holistic health related in her small community. She provides aromatherapy consultations to practitioners and clients at an acupuncture/chiropractic clinic in a nearby city and has dedicated a significant amount of time to formulating and testing aromatherapy blends to support chronic health conditions.

While an ACHS student, Donaldson focused on chronic pain and related conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and back pain, largely in response to the growing opioid crisis in the United States. Donaldson hopes to help people in Maine avoid the potential consequences of opioid use and addiction by focusing on aromatherapy and holistic health interventions instead.

“Lisa’s commitment to helping her community heal from chronic pain is extremely practical and inspirational. Through her aromatherapy work, Lisa can help her clients to make wellness-based decisions with meaningful, long-term impact for themselves, their families, and their community at large. Her clients are very lucky to have her, and we’re very proud of Lisa and all she has accomplished,” says Dorene Petersen, ACHS president and founder.

To learn more about the Annual DEAC Conference, go to: http://www.deac.org. For more information about this press release or to schedule an interview with Lisa Donaldson, email publicrelations@achs.edu, visit www.achs.edu, or call 800.487.8839.

 

About ACHS

Founded in 1978, ACHS.edu is a Portland, Ore.-based, accredited college offering online, on-campus, and study abroad integrative health education. With undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, certificates, and continuing education units in integrative health, ACHS makes holistic health and wellness education accessible to a diverse community, including healthcare professionals, military students, stay-at-home parents, and lifelong learners. Specializations include aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness. ACHS is a Certified B Corporation® and was named two of 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon 2017 by Oregon Business magazine. ACHS is also accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Visit achs.edu.

 

About DEAC

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1926 that operates as a national accreditor of distance education institutions