Growing up Joy lived a life many would only dream about. When she was 16 she lived in South America and Uruguay. At the age of 19, Joy lived in England and traveled quite extensively across the UK (England, Ireland and Scotland) and Europe (Greece, Germany, Italy, France, Austria and Netherlands.) Traveling opened her eyes to the world – seeing other cultures and experiencing them firsthand.
Joy move to Minnesota in the late nineties to attend the University of Minnesota. She always had a passion for health and disease prevention so she knew she wanted a career in a public health field. While attending the U of M she took classes in Nutrition, Kinesiology and Public Health. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Public Health and went on to get her master’s degree in Community Health Promotion. To stay current within her field, Joy is a member of many health and wellness organizations where she earns continuing education credits and certificates. She is a member of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) where there mission statement is: “The mission of NCHEC is to enhance the professional practice of Health Education by promoting and sustaining a credentialed body of Health Education Specialists.” She is also a member of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) where their goal is to “serve the professionals and organizations that promote optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities.” Finally, she is a member of Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), where their mission is “to serve business leaders, workplace wellness practitioners, public health professionals and consultants of all kinds.” After graduation Joy worked for social services for a short time even though she knew this was not the career she wanted. …show more content…
She ran into a past professor who told her about a job opening in the Public Health department. She got the job and worked there for 4 years. Joy played a major role in the U of M’s obesity prevention project and the worksite health study program. She moved on to work for Carver County as the manager of the public health planning department. Joy got to know many people in the public sector which lead her to her current position as the Health Promotions Supervisor at the Metropolitan Council. Joy became the lead for the Fit for Life program. A program designed to promote health and wellness throughout Council wide facilities ran by employees of the Council. I am and have been an active member of Fit for Life for almost 3 years. I have been involved in campaigns such as diabetes prevention, walking programs and weight loss. This program has changed the lives of many employees.
Joy has always had a passion for health and prevention. She uses her vast knowledge of health and wellness into every aspect of her life. She wants others to feel the same passion for health as she does that she tries to accommodate everyone’s needs, even if money is not in the budget. When I look at the Strong Interest Inventory, Joy would fit into the “Realistic” and “Social” categories because of her willingness to help others and her planning/promoting abilities. Joy finds her biggest challenges working within the political divisions of corporate society. Finding approvals for budgets from a variety of divisions including HR, Medical, and others. Joy feels that one of her greatest achievements is, initiating a Fit for Life program that incorporates a mini grant that funded electronics health monitoring and tracking devices known as Fitbits to Council employees. This allowed participants to set and track goals, monitor success and identify area of improvement. I asked Joy where she would see herself if she was not in the job she current holds. She felt she would either be working for a worksite wellness program with a non-profit or working for the center of prevention at Blue Cross Blue Shield. Working for the center of prevention at BCBS is her dream job. She