Ashley Mitchell’s (MPH ‘14) interest in global health began as an undergraduate student, when she read the book Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope by Dr. Catherine Hamlin. After spending a summer in Ethiopia, she began to pursue her Master’s in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). The Global Health concentration was a natural fit.

“The classes were practice-based and interdisciplinary—I wanted to take ALL of them!”

Today, Mitchell manages its domestic reproductive health program, SPEAK (Spacing Pregnancies Program for East African and Karen Communities) at WellShare in Minneapolis. Her role as a professional is multi-faceted, and allows her to not only restore health when needed, but also educate women, families, and communities.

“The other side includes promoting and preserving health so that redeeming and restoring health isn’t necessary.”

She is grounded by her international experiences, and the relationships she has developed, and acknowledges how grateful she is to have had a “top-notch education” and various supports along her way. In an effort to give back, Mitchell also serves as a mentor for School of Public Health students. In addition to her position at WellShare, she is also an adjunct instructor at St. Catherine’s University, where she teaches Global Health.

Read more about Mitchell’s professional path and current work in this Healthy Generations article.

UPDATE: Ashley is now a Global Health Sciences Doctoral Student at the University of California, San Fransico. She is also working as a short-term consultant at the World Bank Group. (01/2023)

Save