Zillah Kippenhuck, a mother of two, is originally from Forteau, Labrador. She moved to Charlottetown, Labrador after marrying, and was a stay at home mom until her children began school. Zillah then went on to complete banking and financial services as a trade in November 1993, and moved back to Charlottetown after receiving her diploma. However, being a small community, Charlottetown had no bank, and Zillah never got to work with her trade.

In 2001, Zillah began working as the town clerk/manager in Charlottetown. Here, she oversaw and carried out yearly budgets and dealt with financials and property tax. She says she learned a lot in this position, and had many responsibilities. Years later, in March 2009, Zillah was diagnosed with high grade breast cancer. As a result, Zillah had to leave Charlottetown for a summer to get the surgery and treatment she needed. This meant she had to leave her home, her job, and displace her two children; a difficult task mentally, physically, and financially.

It was during this time that Zillah decided she didn’t want to settle for a job she didn’t love. She wanted to give back to the health care system and thus decided to pursue a two year Medical Administration program at College of the North Atlantic. Possessing great empathy for people, especially those who are sick prompted Zillah’s goal of working in a hospital or cancer care centre. It was in these places, along with other medical appointments, that Zillah gained high appreciation for medical admin workers. She says they were always kind, understanding, and caring; traits that go a long way for somebody who is sick.