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Alumni Profiles
Hear from graduates and discover how this program has shaped their careers and futures. The HPM program has over 600听alumni (in addition to听150,000 overall 麻豆视频 alumni)听across the globe who recognize the exceptional academic credibility of an 麻豆视频 degree.
Brandon Graves
Director of Health & Wellness at Transit Employees' Health and Welfare Plan
One of the things that was a pleasant surprise is the sense of community within 麻豆视频鈥攁nd the Department of Health Studies鈥攊s second to none. Being able to still have a line of communication not only to Dr. Snelling and other professors but also to my peers that I graduated with, has been nothing short of amazing.
鈥Brandon Graves (MS Health Promotion Management alum 鈥20)
Brandon Graves relayed that his first job during his graduate studies was as a Worksite Wellness Specialist for Transit Employees Health & Welfare Plan. After graduating with an MS HPM, he received an offer at Optum where he built a corporate health program from the ground up. Brandon said, 鈥淚f it wasn't for what I had learned at 麻豆视频, I would not have been able to confidently and successfully done that.鈥 From there, Brandon went on to become the Director of Health & Wellness at the Transit Employees' Health and Welfare Plan. Brandon鈥檚 accomplishments in this role include launching a new workplace wellness website for transit employees and speaking on well-being and mental health for transit workers at the 57th Amalgamated Transit Union International Black Caucus Conference.
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鈥淓verything that I was able to do in my graduate program directly correlated over into my work experience, from piloting projects to research methods to communication strategy and design, all of that allowed me to take what I had learned鈥hat foundation and then progress towards the next level.鈥 Brandon mentioned that through his ongoing connections with his fellow grad students, 鈥淲e [alumni] continue to still lean on each other. We continue to still sharpen each other, and we continue to still support each other in regard to our own professional endeavors. That is one thing that I did not know about as a prospective student, but as an alum, I am incredibly grateful for that continued support.鈥
鈥Brandon Graves (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥20), Director of Health & Wellness at Transit Employees' Health and Welfare Plan
Lisa Joseph
Senior Program Coordinator at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Each of my professors have played a key role in my success at 麻豆视频. From my very first conversations with Dr. Snelling, I immediately felt supported when weighing my financial options. Since attending 麻豆视频, I have had professors consistently provide wisdom and career advice, send job postings, and serve as references, supporting both my professional development and job applications.
鈥擫isa Joseph (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥22)
Lisa Joseph earned her MS in Health Promotion Management in 2022 and landed her dream job before she even graduated as the Program Coordinator of Education at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Since then she was promoted to Senior Program Coordinator and helps organize educational courses conducted by volunteer/partnered doctors for the pharmaceutical industries. The goal is to help patients better understand current research and new drug developments.
While at 麻豆视频, Lisa worked as a graduate assistant in the Department of Health Studies, doing program development, data collection, and data analysis. She helped produce a 鈥淔aithfully Fit Toolkit鈥 for ministries to implement into their own programs, as well as a report on how to balance food store profits with customers鈥 needs for fresh, healthy food. Finally, as a COVID Case Coordinator at the university, she worked on contact tracing and as a source of information for individuals who were potentially infected with the virus.
Lisa credits 麻豆视频 faculty for helping her to obtain her dream job at ASCO.
鈥淓ach of my professors have played a key role in my success at 麻豆视频. From my very first conversations with Dr. Snelling, I immediately felt supported when weighing my financial options. Since attending 麻豆视频, I have had professors consistently provide wisdom and career advice, send job postings, and serve as references, supporting both my professional development and job applications.鈥
鈥Lisa Joseph (MS Health Promotion Management '22), Senior Program Coordinator at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
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Caitlin Lavigne
AVP, Health Promotion Specialist at Citi
One of the things that stands out is that the program exposes students to a wide variety of general health topics (nutrition, fitness, exercise). This broad exposure has been really helpful because now in my job I can review, evaluate and promote health information from the perspective of a subject matter expert.
鈥擟aitlin Lavigne (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥20)
Originally from Maryland, after attending the University of Delaware to earn her Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Health Behavior Science, Caitlin knew she wanted to move back to the DC area. Part of Caitlin鈥檚 decision-making process about the best graduate degree program for her included factors such as location and academic integrity. She explained, 鈥淚 thought going to a grad school in DC would be the best choice to help me foster and build connections in DC where I eventually wanted to live. Also, I was already familiar with 麻豆视频鈥檚 reputation for being a really good school especially in health sciences.鈥
During her master鈥檚 program at 麻豆视频, Caitlin worked as an Employee Well-Being Intern at NRECA, a cooperative trade association. As a part of her internship, Caitlin helped implement a well-being program for over 900 cooperatives and analyzed insurance claims data to determine the major health concerns of cooperative members. She also designed three educational webinars on behavior change, nutrition, and physical activity.
Reflecting on her MS HPM program, Caitlin said, 鈥淥ne of the things that stands out is that the program exposes students to a wide variety of general health topics (nutrition, fitness, exercise). This broad exposure has been really helpful because now in my job I can review, evaluate, and promote health information from the perspective of a subject matter expert. For example, while I鈥檓 not creating nutritional programs, I can assess nutrition program information and choose which information is better to push out [to employees] than others.鈥
鈥楾he manager I have now also went through the [麻豆视频 MS HPM] program. That alumni connection opened doors I wouldn鈥檛 otherwise have had.鈥
鈥Caitlin Lavigne (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥20), AVP, Health Promotion Specialist at Citi
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Javier Rivera
Education Programs Specialist at the American Society of Hematology | Health Coach at FX Well
My takeaway from this program has provided me with the tools and drive for how I want to establish my career in health and wellness moving forward.
鈥擩avier Rivera (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥22)
On receiving the Outstanding Student Achievement award in 2022, Javier Rivera reflected on his experience HPM experience. 鈥淚 am honored to be awarded the Outstanding Student Achievement 鈥 Health Promotion Management. My time in the 麻豆视频 Health Promotion Master鈥檚 program has been a fantastic opportunity to help mold my ongoing career path. It has been a positive experience during a hard time in the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted on everyone. This program and the people I have met along the way have helped me shape my interest and passion for health and wellness into a career. My takeaway from this program has provided me with the tools and drive for how I want to establish my career in health and wellness moving forward.鈥
鈥淎dditionally, the previous experiences I have had within internships, school, life, jobs, etc., have helped me build a foundation and given me direction towards what I want to pursue and how I want to capitalize on my passion for working with people, communities, and organizations through health promotion management.鈥
鈥Javier Rivera (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥22), Education Programs Specialist at the American Society of Hematology | Health Coach at FX Well
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Kamalia Blunt
Self-employed author and former Senior Analyst and Outreach Design Specialist
I applied to this program at 麻豆视频 as I believed I needed to entrust myself to an institution acclaimed for invaluable education.
鈥Kamalia Blunt (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥22)
During and after earning her MS in Health Promotion Management, Kamalia Blunt worked as a Senior Analyst and Outreach Design Specialist for Lord and Tucker Management Consultants, LLC (LTMC). Kamalia is now self-employed and is the award-winning author of the book, 鈥淪earching for Serotonin: When Hardship Makes Happiness Hard to Find,鈥 under the pen name Mali Millie and is the creator and designer of the 鈥淢y Therapy Assistant Journal.鈥
Upon receiving the Outstanding Student Achievement award in 2022, Kamalia said, 鈥淚 applied to this program at 麻豆视频 as I believed I needed to entrust myself to an institution acclaimed for invaluable education.鈥
鈥淚 did not anticipate how much the tools I sought to learn and use for others would be so applicable to me and shift much of my previous paradigm. My perspective has broadened toward not just developing an effective health program, but also to being a living example of a champion of health in my multiple social environments.鈥
鈥... Thank you 麻豆视频 for giving me a better foundation and education on what it means to be a healthier overall human being that will impact others now and in the future.鈥
鈥Kamalia Blunt (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥22), Self-employed author and former Senior Analyst and Outreach Design Specialist
Stephanie George
Wellness Program Administrator at the Navy Federal Credit Union
In her role as the Wellness Program Administrator, Stephanie George works with a team of passionate health professionals who facilitate a comprehensive suite of wellness programs for all employees at the Navy Federal Credit Union. This includes strategic oversight of wellness services and the creation of in-house programming to engage their population and support their well-being.
鈥Stephanie George (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥14)
In her role as the Wellness Program Administrator, Stephanie George works with a team of passionate health professionals who facilitate a comprehensive suite of wellness programs for all employees at the Navy Federal Credit Union. This includes strategic oversight of wellness services and the creation of in-house programming to engage their population and support their well-being.
While pursuing her MS in Health Promotion Management at 麻豆视频, Stephanie鈥檚 excellent academic record helped her achieve a position as a Research Assistant in the Department of Health Studies. She worked on a USDA-funded study exploring how behavioral economics can boost vegetable consumption in elementary school lunchrooms. Stephanie helped design and plan the study, and contributed to writing the research findings report. This hands-on experience was a great way to apply the skills and knowledge gained through her program studies AND see the impact of health studies in action.
Stephanie George (MS Health Promotion Management 鈥14), Wellness Program Administrator at the Navy Federal Credit Union