When I graduated my goal was to find a role where I could engage in community collaboration, promote healthy living practices, and influence health-related policies. My journey in public health began as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) near Kansas City, Missouri
where I developed and implemented a variety of community-based health promotion programs. While working full-time as a community health educator, I pursued my Master of Public Health (MPH) degree online from University of Missouri-Columbia. I also obtained a Global Public Health Certificate, which allowed me to complete a month-long MPH internship abroad in Ghana, Africa. In August 2015, I was selected to participate in the Greater Kansas City Healthcare Foundation’s yearlong Healthy Communities Leadership Academy with other professionals to improve community collaboration, civic leadership, and system/policy change. I am thrilled to have transitioned into the role of project manager at the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in 2016. Working alongside a team of medical and public health professionals, I am contributing to tobacco cessation research. In spring 2017, I advanced to a master level health education specialist (MCHES). I am proud that my work is directly influencing positive change in public health so I can continue improving health outcomes in my community. My accomplishments are a result of the hands-on experience I received and the confidence I gained from HES staff and faculty, as a student and alumna.
-Amanda Grodie (’11), Health Science