UTA public health graduate focused on helping others
When Jessica Douglas first stepped foot on The University of Texas at Arlington campus, it marked a new beginning but with a familiar focus: helping people.
Douglas took a decade-long break to raise her children and train as a doula. But in 2019, she decided to return to school. On May 10, she will officially earn her Master of Public Health degree, crossing the stage with 5,700-plus Mavericks at Globe Life Field.
She’s also earned the prestigious Gerry C. Gunnin, Ph.D., Public Health Memorial Fellowship, considered the most competitive public health fellowship in Dallas-Fort Worth. Douglas will spend 10 weeks working for Texas Health Resources on a variety of community health initiatives.
“I always knew that at a certain point, I would go back to school and go into a profession that was patient-centered,” she said.
Douglas graduated from Houston Community College and then enrolled at the New Mexico College of Midwifery. While apprenticing with a midwife, she decided to take a break from her higher education goals to focus on her family. She had two children at that point and would eventually have two more. But she said she always knew school was still in her future when the time was right.
She originally applied to UTA’s nursing program, but then looked into public health and became hooked with helping people on a community-wide scale.
“I have tons of life experience, have lived through lots of things and have been on both the provider and patient sides,” she said. “The public health space just seems like the right place for me.”
The life experience that Douglas wants to bring to the field is filled with both tragedy and triumph. She had five miscarriages and a stillbirth; she also had two home births and two in a hospital. She wants to make sure moms like her have more positive experiences.
“The United States has not such a great track record with maternal health and outcomes; we’re pretty low across the board,” Douglas said. “There’s a lot of room for growth and change, and it’s what I’m comfortable with because it’s what my experience is in.”
She applied for the fellowship at the urging of Erin Carlson, clinical professor and founding director of UTA’s graduate public health programs. Douglas has worked with her as a UTA public health program assistant.
“Dr. Carlson was the reason I went into the graduate program,” Douglas said. “I was able to be a professional working alongside her instead of just studying under her. She is a great and knowledgeable mentor.”
Douglas said she finds herself looking back on her time as a Maverick, grateful for the support she received from her husband and the connections she made at UTA.
“I’ve made some really good relationships, and I’m excited to celebrate their accomplishments as well,” she said. “It’s not just about me. It’s about the people I’ve met along the way.”