MPH Alumni Amy Eagon: Where Is She Now?

The Master of Public Health program’s series titled “Where Are They Now?” dives into each individual’s time as a student and how those experiences shaped their current professions. If you are interested in taking part in the series, please contact mph@ewu.edu. Catch up with Amy Eagon here!

Name: Amy Eagon

Graduation Year: May 2016

Job Title: Local Emergency Response Coordinator

Organization: Cowlitz County Health and Human Services

Describe your career path. Why public health?

My career path took a couple of rabbit trails before ending in public health. I received a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 2011. I chose exercise science because I have a passion for physical fitness and the overall health of an individual. What I learned after graduating was that I still had that passion, but exercise science was not the most fruitful path I could take. That’s when I found out about the MPH program. Public health fulfilled my personal passion for helping people be as healthy as they want to be while impacting more than one individual at a time. It also fulfilled my professional passion for partnering with my community to work towards a common goal.

What are you responsible for in your current position?

I currently work very collaboratively with our local health department, local department of emergency management, regional public health office, the Washington State Department of Health, and the Washington Emergency Management Division to help the citizens of Cowlitz County and Southwest Washington Region IV to be as prepared as possible for the threats and hazards we are most likely to experience, both natural and manmade. I assist in the writing, reviewing, and updating of plans while meeting with community partners and stakeholders on a regular basis to create and maintain relationships within the community. I organize and attend emergency preparedness fairs, seminars, conferences, and community events as an avenue in which to work more with the whole community.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part of my job is when I talk about emergency preparedness with a community member and they grasp the idea of personal emergency preparedness. Emergency preparedness in and of itself can be a terrifying idea, but when broken down appropriately it is very simple, easy, and fun! When community members get that, I feel like I have helped my community on the path to being better prepared for whatever comes their way.

How did the MPH program prepare you for your current position?

One of my courses in the MPH program required us to take 4 different Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Independent Study courses specifically focusing on emergency preparedness planning. Those are requirements for anyone in my position, so I was a step ahead! The very first project I did in the MPH program was a door-to-door survey asking the people of Spokane how prepared they were for an emergency. That is really where my passion for public health emergency preparedness started. We went on to publish those findings, and I have presented those findings across Washington State throughout the years.

Really diving into the social determinants of health was extremely vital for me to understand how to reach my whole community, not just the community I related to most. I was able to really comprehend the challenges that many of my community members were up against and then create and distribute socially and culturally appropriate emergency preparedness tools and resources they could use and apply in their lives.

What was most memorable to you about your experiences in the MPH program?

I would say attending the Washington State Public Health Association Annual Conference was my most memorable experience in the MPH program. We got the chance to network with public health professionals, other students, and potential future employers. Seeing the tools and resources we were learning about being applied, developed, and implemented in the real world helped solidify the passion I had for this industry.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an MPH?

Public health is so encompassing. As the political and social focus shifts to the social determinants of health, the opportunities are endless. If you have a desire to help your community be as healthy as they want to be, public health is where you can make the biggest impact on the community.