For recent Michener graduate Zara Phillips (Chiropody, ’26), the pursuit of healthcare comes from a natural disposition to step up and provide help where it’s needed.

That drive has led Zara to receive the 2026 President’s Scholarship Award and two positions in foot care to start her career once she is licensed as a chiropodist following graduation.

“As a healthcare professional, you have something to offer to everyone,” Zara says. “As I join my fellow classmates to start our careers, I’m excited to see how we provide that help.”

Zara says she chose chiropody as she found herself intrigued by lower body injuries and limb loss prevention while working at an interdisciplinary clinic as a co-op student during her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology and rehabilitative sciences at the University of Waterloo.

“It turns out the upper body just never really interested me that much,” Zara says. “I found an appreciation for how much we depend on our feet as I saw firsthand the impact of lower limb concerns and afflictions on a person’s abilities.”

“I saw people come in who looked like they just had simple blisters on their feet, but their condition was so severe that they were in need of an amputation,” she says.

“That sparked this interest in me to figure out why this had happened, and how I might be able to help prevent it from happening to another patient.”

Chiropody students united

As she pursued her studies at Michener, Zara found another opportunity to offer support by bringing her classmates and future colleagues together.

Zara says what started off informally to plan events for her classmates within the same year grew and extended across all years of the chiropody program.

“I felt like there was a missing connection with the people you’re learning alongside in the program – who will also be our future resources and connections in the workforce,” she says.

In time, Zara’s initiative became the Michener Chiropody Student Association, which was granted official club status by Michener’s Student Success Network.

The group has hosted talks and panel discussions – virtually and in-person – with practicing chiropodists and other foot care specialists as guests.

“It became this social club with educational and networking aspects to it,” she says, “which was a really great way to stay in touch, to learn and to grow all at the same time.”

Reaching out with foot care

When Zara begins as a licensed chiropodist in Toronto, she will assume two positions – out of a private practice and a community health centre.

Following placement experiences at hospitals, community health centres and Indigenous health centres, Zara says she knew she wanted to expand her reach as far as she could.

“Many of my placements were in public health or working with underserved communities,” she says. “I had always known that I wanted to have some sort of mix of public and private experience in my work, because everyone deserves proper access to care.”

As she starts her career, Zara says she is proud and prepared to become part of the next wave of health professionals providing essential services to promote foot care.

“I’m honoured for the opportunity to provide such a wide range of care to start my career, and so happy to be joining my classmates going out across Ontario and Canada to help those most in need.”