Personal Summary

Maria loves to explore the outdoors which is what brought her to Montana originally for college. After college, she spent time living in Alaska and Idaho. She eventually made her way back to Montana, which has always been one of her favorite places. 

Education

BS Health and Human Performance, Applied Health Sciences, University of Montana, 2009

MPH Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2021

Professional Experience

Adolescent Health Section Supervisor/Lead Program Specialist. State of Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Family and Community Health Bureau, Adolescent Health Division, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Helena, Montana 2018-2021

Teaching Assistant. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Problem Solving in Public Health 2020-2021

Community Health Educator. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands, Anchorage, Alaska/Meridian, Idaho, and Malawi. June 2013- October 2018

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (recertification, October 2022)

International Experience

Malawi DREAMS (determined, resilient, educated, AIDS-free, mentored, and safe young women) Initiative- Global Programs Technical Assistant. March 2017- October 2018

Provided technical assistance in Malawi for the launch of youth-friendly health services by phone. Developed curriculum for a training of trainers and hotline workers as a medical certification program approved by the Malawi Ministry of Health. Provided support with ongoing trainings and employee evaluations.

Honors / Awards

Bloomberg Fellow, Johns Hopkins University