Esther Oyola

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Cherishing Family Moments

Esther Oyola wishes all families could enjoy mealtimes together, as she does with her own daughter. Traditions around food and family were very important to Esther’s childhood in Puerto Rico. Today, as a Nutrition Educator, she sees how spending time with loved ones supports children’s health and development.  

Like many parents, Esther found herself at a crossroads last year when her daughter, Yulianna, switched to full-time virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Esther drew ideas from Kohl’s Healthy at Home resources to support her daughter’s physical, mental, and social-emotional health during the shutdown, tailoring the activities to the needs of a growing teenager. Along the way, fourteen-year-old Yulianna accrued life skills like reading the nutrition labels for ingredients she uses to make her favorite smoothie recipes.  

As an educator and parent, Esther understands that health and learning go hand-in-hand when it comes to children’s success. “Innovation in involving children and youth in learning more about the benefits of being healthy can come from many different sources in the community,” she says, adding, “I think what Kohl’s and Healthier Generation are doing to support our health is wonderful.”