A Healthy Career

Natalie Jackson never thought that getting an online graduate degree would be for her. But now, she feels like she found her place.

Natalie is currently pursuing her MPH in the Executive Public Health Administration and Policy (EPHAP) program, while simultaneously working full-time and raising a family.

Off to Africa

Did we mention she’s doing all this while living in Zambia?

Natalie grew up in Minnesota and got her undergraduate degree in Wisconsin. But after a study abroad year in Senegal, West Africa, she fell in love with the continent’s people and cultures. So, after finishing undergrad, she joined the Peace Corps in Zambia, then decided to pursue a public health career on the continent.

Since then, Natalie has lived and worked all over Africa working for women’s human rights, girls’ education, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. Today, she is settled in Lusaka, Zambia, where she is married and raising her three children.

Having worked so long in public health with only a bachelor’s degree, Natalie always felt she needed to go back to school to help advance her career, but she never felt like it was the right time given her family, location, and busy professional life.

“My jobs have always been intense and on-the-move, so adding school on top of work never seemed like an option,” she says. “And then I started having kids, and I felt like I couldn’t work, have kids, AND go to school.”

Is Online the Answer?

Read more about Natalie’s learning experience