“The challenge of working in the place I grew up,” says Celia Heath '21, public health and advocacy coordinator for the United Way of Addison County, “is facing some realities that I didn’t know existed.”

Among them: the critical need for mental health promotion and youth substance use prevention in her community.

“As a kid, I only saw the bright side of living in Vermont; but there are a lot of different issues and disparities that I had no idea about before working in this field,” said Heath, who graduated from the Public Health Sciences program in 2021. “Part of my job now is trying to find equitable and creative solutions to these public health issues.”

As a Public Health Sciences major at UVM, Heath learned about differences and gaps in the quality of health and healthcare across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups, and studied the ways health systems deliver services to meet the needs of target populations. A fundamental understanding gained through her experience in the program, she says, is of the interdependence of factors called “social determinants of health” – the economic and social conditions that influence differences in health status among individuals and groups.

Heath's work involves assessing community data, cataloguing emerging needs, and identifying best practices to support United Way agencies in their efforts to prioritize public health, wellness, and safety in ways that can help promote public health initiatives and reduce youth substance use in Addison County. She develops educational materials, programs, and social media campaigns for the youth public health coalition and works closely with United Way-funded partners to increase their visibility in the community.

The social determinants of health she studied in class have become a tangible reality.

"Everything is connected," said Heath. "Health is connected to housing, which is connected to workforce, which is connected to financial stability, which is connected to mental health . . . the intersections are endless. I see this first-hand every day.”

She feels well-prepared to face the odds. During her senior capstone project, Heath worked with the Vermont Family Network, a nonprofit with a mission to support children, youth, and families, especially those with disabilities or special health needs. Working to solve real-life problems as part of a team prepped her for success in her current role.

“Every day I walk into work with a toolkit of knowledge that I have compiled from my time at UVM. I use this knowledge to help educate, advocate and support the people in my community and that is very important to me,” she says. “I am constantly learning, but I have a solid foundation of public health knowledge and experience that I can always rely on.”

Heath still sees the bright side of living in Vermont – especially in the opportunity to work daily to advocate for improved health outcomes in her community.

"Advocacy is a newfound passion of mine,” she says. “I am so fortunate to be in a position where I can support my community in this impactful way.”