Meet our MCH student scholars and learn why they chose to pursue the MCH graduate certificate.
2024-2025 MCH Student Scholar Cohort
Aamina A. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: MPH, Public Health Policy
“I have always had a passion for the health of women and children. Children are the future generations, and it is important that we prioritize their health and create health interventions to address concerns as early in their life as possible. It starts with ensuring their mothers are healthy and continuing to address issues that impact their health. I hope with my MPH and MCH certificate I can be a small part in keeping moms and their babies healthy.”
Ellen Abad S. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I’m interested in MCH because there is an existing knowledge gap surrounding the health interventions that are specific to women and children. This gap directly impacts the quality-of-care women and children receive, and how they access and engage with the healthcare system. I believe completing my MPH coursework will deepen my understanding of what barriers women and children are facing in healthcare, and what interventions/programs currently exist to address those issues.”
Noelle S. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I believe that all pregnant and birthing people have a right to have access to a safe, healthy, and positive maternal experience. This is an essential for a well-functioning society and the establishment of trust in the healthcare system. In order for us to foster safety and health promotion in maternal care we must address the health inequities in infant mortality rates and prenatal care amongst marginalized populations. Even more foundationally, we must confront the systemic race and gender gaps in healthcare treatment and accessibility. I am completing the MCH certificate because I want to be a part of identifying and correcting these inequities where they exist in the professional work that I do.”
2023-2024 MCH Student Scholar Cohort
Maria M. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I have always had a passion for the health of women and children. Children are the future generations, and it is important that we prioritize their health and create health interventions to address concerns as early in their life as possible. It starts with ensuring their mothers are healthy and continuing to address issues that impact their health. I hope with my MPH and MCH certificate I can be a small part in keeping moms and their babies healthy.”
Danijela S. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“MCH is important because women and children face unique public health challenges, but there is a lack of emphasis on addressing these issues. I am particularly interested in reproductive health and the issues that arise for women and children as climate change progresses. I believe that my MPH and MCH certificate will give me a deeper understanding of the health problems faced by women and children and the tools and skills I need to work on addressing these issues.”
2022-2023 MCH Student Scholar Cohort
Jack P.
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“Maternal and Child Health is important to me because birthing persons and children are the future of our society, yet they are not invested in as such. In public health, we have to opportunity to address health inequities facing this population to truly make a difference in present and future generations.”
Emerald L. (She/Her/Hers)
Program: Maternal and Child Health Certificate
” I am truly invested in bettering the birth outcomes of mothers and infants. Being a mom myself, I would love for all families to have access to safe and positive birth and postpartum experiences”
Angela C. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I chose to pursue the MCH certificate because I wanted to learn the tools that will allow me to work with women and children to better their overall health. With this certificate, I will be able to work more with disproportionate groups and recognize their social determinants of health. I am so excited to work with these groups and allow them to feel heard and recognized for their health.”
Catherine R. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I chose to purse the MCH graduate certificate to help improve health and well-being of children and families. Milwaukee has such a diverse population, and I want to make sure every child and family has the resources they need to be healthy!”
Krissy A. (She/Her)
Program: PhD, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“Throughout my twenty-year public health career, I have been deeply committed to advancing the health of maternal and child health populations. I chose to pursue UW-Milwaukee’s Certificate in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) alongside my PhD in Public Health to learn new information, skills, experiences, and ways of thinking that will deepen my practice and the impact of my work.”
2021-2022 MCH Student Scholar Cohort
Claire P. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion (graduated)
“In my undergraduate career, I studied psychology and biology with emphasis on child stress and coping. This, with my experience working and volunteering with children and a passion for women’s rights led me to the certificate program which was a wonderful addition to the Community and Behavioral Health Promotion track. The certificate combined my biological perspective with a social justice lens that I use daily.”
Faith O. (She/Her)
Program: PhD, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I have long been interested in female reproductive health and have always loved spending time with babies and young children. I also have a particular passion for health equity, so this certificate seemed like the perfect way to blend all of those interests while pursuing my doctorate studies.”
Isabella W. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Heatlh Promotion
“I chose to pursue the MCH graduate certificate because ever since I was younger, I’ve known that I wanted a future career working with children. When starting my MPH, I knew that the MCH certificate would challenge me as a public health professional but would ultimately help me reach my career goals.”
Mary W. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Public Health Policy (graduated)
“Racial disparities and inequities in maternal mortality drove me to public health, and ultimately Zilber. The graduate certificate became available at the perfect time – as I was hoping to supplement my course experience in Public Health Policy & Administration with as many MCH courses as I could manage. I learned a great deal in this certificate program, which has helped me launch a career in MCH post-Zilber.”
Teresa O. (She/Her)
Program: PhD, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I chose to pursue the MCH graduate certificate because as a public health practitioner, public health student, and most importantly, as an auntie, I am deeply committed to doing my part to ensure that every child has the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and happy lives from the start. The MCH certificate has helped me strengthen the skills necessary to work alongside communities to address historic, systemic, and institutional injustices that prevent many children from living safe and healthy lives.”
Zoe H. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Heatlh Promotion (graduated)
“I chose to purse the MCH graduate certificate because I knew it would be a great way to expand my knowledge, build leadership and advocacy skills and learn how to bring a health equity lens to my work. These transferable skills have helped me tremendously as a Health Promotions Coordinator.”
Yanires S. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I chose to pursue the MCH graduate certificate to advance my knowledge and skills to serve this population more effectively. I have a professional history of working with underrepresented Milwaukee youth within the capacities of reproductive, mental, and LGBTQIA+ health and strive to empower, educate, and encourage them to grow autonomy over their health, minds, and bodies. I am confident that earning this graduate certificate will be an asset to my educational and professional background and future career endeavors.”
Deb M. (She/Her)
Program: MPH, Community & Behavioral Health Promotion
“I chose to add the certificate to my MPH as I’d like to work on reformation of the juvenile penal system; no child should be incarcerated.”