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“It changed my life.” Shelton said while recounting her experience in the health promotion program at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ. 

A 2019 graduate from the health promotion program, Jennifer Shelton took the leap from working in healthcare to exploring her passion for health and wellness in a different capacity. “What I found out from working in the [healthcare] field is that people come to you when it’s too late. Health promotion is all about prevention and aligning your life to be healthy enough so that you can function at your highest capacity.” 

Determined to funnel her efforts into a field she was passionate about, Shelton initially was worried about the ability to turn her passion into a career. Having no idea what was going to come of her degree in Health Promotion, Shelton had worries of: “Am I going to be able to find a job? Am I going to be able to make a living?” Although she did not plan on becoming an educator herself, she became more confident in her path as she progressed through the program. As she neared toward the completion of her degree, Shelton had a job lined up to teach health and P.E. classes at a secondary school. 

“I love it. I have been able to create strong connections with my students and I am able to provide them with the tools that they can use to make a change in their lives,” she shared.

When asked about what key skills she gained in the program that have prepared her for success in her career she stated: “There are so many things that have helped me, but one of the big things is mindfulness. I have practiced mindfulness a lot and it has brought a lot of peace to my life. Doing that professionally has helped me not only, because of the classes I’m teaching, but because I think I see things from a different perspective than the busy go-go-go mentality that we have in our society. I have had a lot of students that have come to me who need a listening ear, as well as a lot of my colleagues and it’s really created a safe space at my school.” 

“100% I would recommend [the program]. I ended up getting right into education but there are so many opportunities available with working in hospitals or even with military families.

Sharing her final sentiments about the program, Jennifer endorsed the program and covered some of the many avenues that can be pursued within the sphere of health promotion. I see postings all the time with the health department. There are a lot of career options that I didn't realize… so career-wise, I think there are a lot of places you can go.” 

Visit /hper/healthpromotion.html or contact Brittni Strickland, brittnistrickland@weber.edu to learn more.