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Where are the HAPP majors now?

HAPP ALUMNI
All Alumni information posted is done at the request and/or permission of the individual
Email addressees will be posted when directed by the individual
Please contact cat@umbc.edu with any postings or suggestions

• Ashleigh A. Auth (Spring 2008) I just wanted to update UMBC’s HAPP program of my journey after HAPP… I graduated in 2008, since then I have received my MPH from A.T. Still University, and after working towards a job in my field, I am currently working at The EMMES Corporation in Rockville, MD as a Data Manager/ Protocol Monitor for Vaccine and Infectious Disease clinical research trials.If I had to give HAPP majors and new grads any advice, I would just have to say that the Sky literally is your limit. Network, take jobs as opportunities, and keep moving forward. Fight for the position you want, and you’ll get it!
  (Posted 9/2012)
  
  
• Courtney Burton (Spring 2012) "After graduating in May 2012, I continued a graduate program at UMBC that I began my last semester working on my MA in Applied Sociology. I have also continued to be employed at the same site I worked for my internship in HAPP. I am still working at the Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) in the Office of Population Health Improvement working on the State Health Improvement Process (SHIP)."
  (Posted 8/2012)
  
  
• Oladunni Shyvonne Adekoya (Spring 2012) "I will be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia because I have gained admission to Georgia State University for a post baccalaureate pre med program. After 18 months as a post baccalaureate student, I will begin medical school and work to receive my M.D. and my Master's in Public Health at the same time. I would like to thank Prof. K for all her support both during my time as an undergrad student and while I was applying for various post baccalaureate programs. I couldn't have done it without her! "
  (Posted 8/2012)
  
  
• Mary Kearns (Spring 2012) "I am working at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Medicare Fee-For-Service Provider Education, otherwise known as the Medicare Learning Network(R). I interned here last Fall and they were able to hire me full-time, which has been great. I have met with a lot of managers throughout the agency and I'm always extolling the wonderful HAPP program at UMBC and why they should look for interns there!"
  (Posted 8/2012)
   
• Timothy Antlitz (Fall 2011) Tim recently accepted a position at Johns Hopkins Healthcare as a Credentialing specialist. He plans to use the tuition benefit from Johns Hopkins to return to umbc and get a Masters in Applied Sociology next year. Congrats Tim!
  (Posted 8/2012)
  
  
• Ilana Katz (Fall 2011) Congratulations to Ilana for landing a job at Safe Quality Food Institute, a division of the Food Marketing Institute.
  (Posted 8/2012)
  
  
• Christina Powell (Spring 2011) "Since January 2011, I have been working / interning at a consulting company as a training developer / instructional designer for web-based and instructor-led courseware for health care companies (e.g. Cigna, Johnson & Johnson, McNeil). Fall 2012, I will be starting my graduate program at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Department of Health Services Management and Leadership! I am pursuing my Master of Health Service Administration." Congratulations to Christina!
  (Posed 4/2012)
  
  
• Maham Anwar (Spring 2010)
  "I was accepted to the New School's Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy for the fall. I was accepted for the Master of Science degree in Urban Policy Analysis & Management and was awarded a pretty nice scholarship.I can't wait to take my HAPP background with me to school and put it to work."
  Posted 4/2012
  
  
• Danielle Flanagan (Spring 2001)
  Danielle writes to HAPP " I am currently working at Medstar Health as an Insurance Specialist and I am currently CPAT certified that I obtained through my job.  CPAT stands for Certified Patient Account Technician. My HAPP internship was at Erickson Retirement Communities and with that internship, it has helped me to gain alot of experience in the health care field.  It is also helping me with my career goal of becoming a health care administrator."
  Posted 3/2012
  
  
• Hafsatou Barry (Fall 2011)
  
  Hafsa recently shared with us - life after HAPP undergraduate degree. "Less than a month after graduating from UMBC, I landed a position as a Medical Receptionist/Front Desk at Chesapeake Urology, which is the largest urology practice in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region., with 45 physicians, more than 300 employees, 16 urology centers and 14 ambulatory surgery centers in convenient locations throughout Maryland and the greater Baltimore area. I'm getting hands- on experience by utilizing my skilled learned in the classroom. This is a stepping stone for me because I am planning on going to Physician Assistant school therefore having my foot in the door with the doctors is definetely ideal for me.For someone that is fresh out of college with no work experience but just knowlegde I can honestly say that the HAPP program increased my appreciation and perspective for the US health care system.The internship class helped me gain confidence at my interview. I was not nervous because I knew how to act and what to do for the interview. The pay is awesome with amazing benefits. I am going back to school to get my Master's in Physician Assistant or a dual masters degree in Physician Assistant/Public Health but I am very glad that I majored in HAPP because it opened lots of doors for me with many back up plans.Life after undergrad is amazing, and I'm looking forward to the amazing things God has in store for me. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email and if you looking for a job after graduation, send me a resume, cuz I do get rewarded for my referrals.Haha. Good Luck with school and your future career goals. hafsa1@umbc.edu".
  Thank you for sharing Hafsa!
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Shawn Crosby (Fall 2010)

  Shawn recently wrote to us, "I am currently working at The Community College of Baltimore County, School of Health Professions where I am the Coordinator of their new student clinical tracking system called Typhon. I recently got married and purchased our first home as well. My HAPP degree has proved to be beneficial in my current position as it has taught me the skills necessary to manage an interdisciplinary system such as Typhon.  My HAPP internship at CCBC played a big role in securing my current position." Congratulations Shawn - From the HAPP team!

  
  
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• William Joyner (Spring 2011)
  William is currently an admissions Specialist, University of Maryland School of Nursing. He recently wrote to us " I'm starting at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in fall 2012.  I'm pursuing an MSW/JD.  I found a last-minute internship at the non-profit Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore to meet the HAPP requirement, and I ended up getting invited to join the organization's Board of Trustees two weeks ago (the highest level of leaders in the organization).  So, that HAPP internship led to me getting a leadership position in one of the most well-established non-profits in Baltimore. Also, nursing education is undergoing some pretty big policy shifts on the state and national levels, so my studies in HAPP helped give me an edge in finding a job here pretty quickly." Good luck in the fall William -from the HAPP team!
  (Posted 2/12)   
  
• Alec Penrod (Spring 2011)
  We received thsi information from Alec: " I moved to New Jersey where I am the Retail Service Manager for Renew Life Formulas, Inc. for the New Jersey-Eastern Pennsylvania territiory. However, being in New Jersey I might like to break into the pharmacuetical industry someday (they're all here!). My best advice for graduates is to take lots of chances and ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid to change locations. Be aggressive in your job search and start searching before your last semester. Do as many internships as possible you will be amazed at what networking opportunities they provide. A special thanks to my mentor and dear friend Dr. K." We wish you all the best Alec - HAPP Team!
  
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Joyce Awuro (Fall 2008)
  Joyce recently updated HAPP with the following information:
  "I graduated from UMB this past May with my MSW. I began in Foster care and quickly figured...although I loved working with the children the external issues were heart breaking. I currently work at Washington Hospital Center Outpatient Center. Do Not be Afraid to test the waters! Special THANKS to Dr. K( for her continuous support) & Mrs. Riley!"
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Kezia Alexander (Spring 2010)
  
  While going to school for an MPH at UMB, Kezia is currently interning in the Family and Community Health Department of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington D.C., the regional office for WHO. Her project deals with collecting information about maternal and child health practices from Latin American countries and presenting them to WHO regional advisors on nutrition.
  You may contact Kezia kezia.alexander@gmail.com if you have any questions.
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Manjeet Birring (Fall 2011)
  Manjeet is working for The Living Legacy Foundation  as a Donor Services Coordinator.
  (Posted 5/12)
  
  
• Amina Saeed-Shams (Spring 2001)
  Amina Saeed-Shams is living in Baltimore, MD with her husband and two children. She graduated with a dual track MPH in Health Education & Communications/Maternal & Child Health from Tulane University. She currently works as a Project Manager leading EMR development projects for Ochsner Health Systems. She volunteers for a number of nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of LA Health Connection.
  (Posted 1/12)
  
  
• Edwin Mayah (Fall 2008)
  Edwin completed an M.Sc. in Healthcare Administration from UMUC.  Edwin writes to us "I am currently working as a Healthcare Program manager and Healthcare Navigator with the Workforce Solutions Group of Montgomery County,where I connect uninsured residents to safety net clinics with in the county. Dr K is amazing she helped me find a clearer path." Thank you for sharing Edwin!
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Nancy Luna (Fall 2008)
  Nancy sends us information about her life after HAPP. "After graduation I started working as an office manager, a year later I left for the Peace Corp. I volunteered in Zorritos, Tumbes, Peru. I met my fiancé there and here soon I will be getting married and will be starting graduate school, University of North Texas, masters in public health, professional option. Not to brag or anything like that, but Dr. K is truly an amazing person. Besides being the greatest professor she is simply the best mentor. Good luck to all and keep pushing forward!"
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Kristin Schwab (Spring 2010)
  Kristin works for the Social Security Administration as a Budget Analyst. She is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy at UMBC with a concentration in Health Policy. Kristin tells us "At SSA I work with the Agency's Administrative Budget and I work mainly with Congressional requests for information on our Budget and with preparing our annual appropriation request to Congress. I hope to get into Congressional affairs one day! I would be glad to talk to any students about working for the federal government, and about my experiences in the federal workforce."
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Karen Silver (Spring 2010)
  Karen continued on to do her Masters in Public Policy at UMBC. While working on her Masters she got a GA at Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene in Maternal and Child Health and has been there since. She finished her Masters in December concentrating on health care financing, esp in Medicare. At DHMH she works on the new Maternal Infant and Early Child Home Visiting Program, writing and developing grants, collecting and analyzing raw data and policies. She has done a lot of work with non-profits in the past, especially student leadership and volunteer development and social entrepreneurship. If anyone has any questions, she would be happy to share experiences!
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Alexa Urrutia-Comas (Spring 2008)
  Following UMBC she went to graduate school at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for Master of Health Services Administration and graduated from there in April 2010. Post-graduate school she did an Administrative Fellowship at the Veteran's Hospital in Milwaukee, and is currently working there as the Administrative Officer for the Medicine Division. She basically handles all administrative functions related to the clinical division (budget, hiring & staffing-both admin and clinical staff, equipment requests, space concerns, short and long terms strategic planning, performance metrics for MD's, etc.).
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Lauren Atkinson (Spring 2008)
  Lauren served for 10 months in the Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) based out of Denver Colorado. She worked for 2 years at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington DC and has just begun the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UMD. 
  (Posted 2/12)
  
  
• Kanchan Aryal (Spring 2011)
  Kanchan recently got hired by Theracom, a CVS/Caremark company. It is a specialty pharmacy and she will be working as a reimbursement case advocate. The office is located in Rockville. Kanchan tell us "I am really excited about this job. My degree in HAPP and previous work experience as a medical receptionist and a certified pharmacy technician helped me land this job".
  (Posted 6/2011)
  
  
• Philips Khuu (Spring 2011)
  Philips accepted a position at Kernan Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital as an Admitting Specialist in the Patient Access Services Department.
  This hospital is a part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and is primarily focused on therapy (PT, OT, and SLP), as well
  as performing elective outpatient surgeries and dental care. Congratulations Philips!
  (Posted 6/2011)
  
  
• Caroline Carrico (Spring 2011)
  Caroline has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine.  She will be attending the Physical Therapy school for three years of year round school and will emerge with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
  (Posted 6/11)
   
• Sabrina Chacon (Spring 2011)
  Sabrina got accepted into the Intercultural Communication Program at UMBC this Fall and plans to make a career of Health Communication/Management.
  Congratulations Sabrina!
  (Posted 5/11)
  
  
• Monet Stanford (Spring 2011)
  Congratulations to Monet who has been accepted into UMB Doctor of Pharmacy/Masters in Public Health. We wish you all the best!
  (Posted 4/11)
  
  
• Jenna Desaulniers (Summer 2010)
  Is employed with Maxim Healthcare Services (www.maximhealthcare.com) as a Medical Billing Specialist.
  (Posted 1/11)
  
  
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