Title: Public Health Training Certificate in American Indian Health
Location: Eastern Band of Cherokee
Biography
Jada Scott is a mother of three and the first in her family to graduate from college. She is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a third-generation potter, and bead worker. Her community’s health was a concern for her as a young child. “I saw diabetes as an issue in my reservation”, she said. “It became a norm for family members.”
Mrs. Scott worked as a certified nursing assistant before finishing college last year with a major in health science and minor in public health. She is a Zegar scholarship recipient working toward the Public Health Training Certificate for American Indian Health Professionals at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Mrs. Scott was also just accepted to the Maternal and Child Heath MPH program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and begins this fall.
A light bulb went off when I discovered public health a light bulb went off, “I found what I was looking for,” she said. She has set her sights on reducing diabetes and childhood obesity rates in her reservation. “I was thrilled to discover a program exists for busy working healthcare professionals. It was incredible to be around passionate people getting involved in their own tribes then the larger community.”
“I am so excited about what I am learning and the opportunities through public health to enable a healthier way of life,” said Mrs. Scott.