241: Why Community Engagement is Public Health’s Superpower with Nkechi Michel, MPH

Interview with Nkechi Michel, MPH

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Highlights from this episode:

The importance of community engagement for effective health education
Why listening to the community’s needs aids in successful program development and implementation
The importance of language in public health and how it affects perceptions and has potential to affect outcomes

Episode 241 of Public Health Careers

Nkechi is a Human Services Program Planner-Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program in Sacramento County.

She is a passionate public health educator and program strategist with over a decade of experience in health education, grant management, and community-based programming, particularly focused on maternal health, nutrition equity, and chronic disease prevention.

She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education and her Master of Public Health in Health Education from California State University, Northridge.

Nkechi Michel began her journey volunteering in the NICU Volunteer at Rady’s Children’s Hospital and a Marketing Intern at Chula Vista Center Marketing Offices before earning her Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education and Promotion from California State University, Northridge. During her undergraduate studies, she interned at the Klotz Student Health Center, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, and the City of San Diego, and later worked as a Peer Health Educator at Operation Samahan Community Health Clinic.

She went on to earn her Master of Public Health in Community Health Education at California State University, Northridge, while interning at Comprehensive Community Health Centers. After completing her MPH, she worked as a Teacher’s Assistant at Los Angeles Unified School District, Linkage to Care Case Manager at APLA Health, and Case Management Specialist at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. She then became an Infectious Disease Care Coordinator – Saban Community Clinic.

Following a relocation and brief career break, she worked as a Public Health Educator at Advantage Health Now, and as a Postpartum Doula at Empowered Roots Doula. At Sacramento County Public Health, she served in several roles: Health Educator for the Tobacco Program, COVID-19 Disaster Service Worker, Health Educator for the CalFresh Healthy Living Program, Nutrition Health Educator, and Human Services Program Planner for the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program.