{"id":109,"date":"2022-01-31T17:23:20","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T17:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mph669draft\/?page_id=109"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:33:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:33:50","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/caratonnmph669\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello, welcome to my Master of Public Health (MPH) e-portfolio. These pages contain my work, experiences, and reflections on my time in the MPH program. My path to the MPH program is a long and winding one that started when I was a teenager. Due to my volunteer services through my teenage years, I knew I wanted to be in the helping professions field. My original goal was to become an educator; however, life circumstances prevented me from pursuing a degree in education, but I was fortunate to be hired by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services as a benefits advisor. This opportunity allowed me to continue to pursue my passion for helping people, and for my dedication and hard work, I entered into a management position. As a manager, I continued to assist people in need. Also, I was able to mentor new employees and draft social programs policy that impacted hundreds of thousands of low-income families in Texas. In December 2011, I became a military spouse, packed up my life in Texas, and moved to Florida. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Florida, I spent my time and energy working as a volunteer coordinator for a local school district and a squadron’s Family Readiness Group support volunteer. I supported families and communities through event planning, fundraising, and mentorship in both positions. In 2016, we moved to Virginia, and once we settled in, I desired to pursue a college degree and was fortunate to be supported in my goal. In 2017, I received an associate’s in social sciences from Tidewater Community College, and in 2019 I received B.S. in Human Services from Old Dominion University. While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I volunteered for VersAbility Resources as support staff. I was allowed to work with a group of young adults with disabilities to create personal functional resumes for future employment opportunities and coach them on interviewing skills. Also, I volunteered with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society as a caseworker, where I assisted families in need by providing resources and information to alleviate stressors associated with significant changes in life events. Reflecting on my passions and my previous experiences, I felt that the MPH program would provide me the opportunity to add to my education and skills to fulfill my goal of working in a helping profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My MPH degree will increase my capacity and provide more opportunities to educate, mentor, and make an impact by empowering and advocating for vulnerable populations. In 2020, I became an MPH graduate student in the Health Behavior and Health Promotion track. I have been challenged and given numerous opportunities by the program staff to develop and refine skills and grow into an empathic, ethical, and responsible public health professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want to talk about public health!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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