This summer, the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis (VNA) proudly welcomed Morgan LeBaige to our team, as our first-ever administrative resident.
Morgan is a graduate student in the Master of Public Health program at Saint Louis University. Prior to pursuing her master’s degree, she received two bachelor’s degrees in English and German from Truman State University, while also studying abroad in Germany. Following graduation, Morgan accepted a position as an English teacher in Germany. She later returned to the United States and began the Master in Economics program at University of Missouri–St. Louis.
While at UMSL, Morgan began working with a nonprofit focused on health and education. She soon realized she wanted to do something different. “I had chosen to study economics as a way to use both my analytical and writing skills, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to make as much of a direct impact as I wanted. Working with the nonprofit, I found that was something really fulfilling and enjoyable,” says Morgan. She transferred to SLU for their Master of Public Health program, concentrating in biostatistics and epidemiology, with an expected graduation of Spring 2021.
Morgan was looking for a unique experience this summer that would allow her to make a contribution to the ongoing pandemic. She connected with the VNA, discussing together the role of administrative resident which would support COVID-19-related projects.
As administrative resident, Morgan is working with the senior leadership team throughout the summer on several projects and initiatives, providing valuable work for the organization while also gaining valuable experience to complement her academic studies and meet her program’s requirements. Some of the projects she is involved in relate to the analytics side of her studies in epidemiology and biostatistics, collecting and tracking data for VNA’s programs and how they have been affected by the pandemic. She is also working with the grant coordinator on grant writing projects and joining in on executive meetings.
“It’s been great because they’re really making sure I get the best experience possible, and I’m gaining so many different experiences here. In addition to growing my public health competencies, I’m also getting a look into the administrative side, which I normally wouldn’t get from my degree,” says Morgan. “Learning this other facet of what goes on in health is a really unique experience and understanding for me to have.”
Looking towards the future, Morgan hopes to use this experience in a role where she can combine her public health perspective with research and statistical analyses. “For me, it’s about knowing what the data is saying and then communicating that to the audience, through writing or otherwise, so that important information gets out.”
To read other VNA staff profiles, visit our blog.
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