Student Profile Archives

Marita Novicky
"Making an Impact"

Adjustments and sacrifices are often necessary to make when striving to reach a goal. And, as responsibilities grow, we are faced with greater adversities in our pursuits. Marita Novicky is no stranger to this challenge. When working for Maryland’s State Office of Rural Health, Novicky wanted to boost her career further. So, she enrolled in a Master of Public Health (MPH) program. But, soon after, in 1999, she was diagnosed with MS. This forced her to place her studies on hold so she could concentrate on her family, work, and learning to live with MS.

Determined to take her career to the next level, though, she didn’t let the challenges of having MS, being a single-parent, or anything else slow her down for long. In 2004, she decided to push onward and complete the graduate degree she had started. Guided by Dr. Greg Williams, ISD Program Director, Novicky dove right into her graduate studies. When asked what brought her to the ISD-TS programs, she said, “Dr. Greg Williams inspired me during our first phone conversation when he spoke about the rewarding attributes and supportive environment surrounding the ISD program.” Novicky, initially nervous about entering the program because of her non-traditional status and age, found herself right at home, immediately.

While experiencing a number of life-changing positions prior to studying at UMBC, she discovered her true love in life – helping people. For as long as she could remember, she secured roles where she could make an impact. She volunteered for UNICEF and for local hospitals and nursing homes as a candy striper. Shortly after graduating from Choffin School of Nursing, in Youngstown, Ohio, she began work as a nurse. Then, she traveled to Africa’s Ivory Coast with the Peace Corps and returned to the U.S. to finish her B.A. at Youngstown State University. There, she designed her own curriculum with the guidance of a committee of three professors and graduated with a B.A. in Independent Studies. Her focus was primarily Biology, which ultimately prepared her to work towards an MPH.

When asked where her interests lay now, Novicky said, “I’m especially interested in distance learning for the general public and how it might help to impact health disparities.” She remarked how helpful the ISD courses were in preparing her for the rigors of researching and developing evaluation techniques for distance learning programs. Both Dr. Zane Berge and Dr. Greg Williams proved instrumental in applying real-life work to her online studies. With the close assistance of Dr. Berge, Novicky wrote and plans to publish, “Electronic Health Information: An Examination of Interactive Internet, Video, and Kiosk Health Applications for Distant and Underserved Populations.”

Marita is an MA graduate of UMBC’s ISD Program with a concentration in distance learning. As for her future goals, she would like to continue researching how a person can impact health disparities with distance learning. Her advice: No matter how old you are, you can do it. Keep trying!