Cody Carroll

Cody Carroll is not the first college graduate to be hired by the Lorain County General Health District.

But Carroll is the first member of his family to graduate from college thanks to a partnership between the Lorain County JVS and Lorain County Community College.

"Growing up, I always wanted to help people so I thought about becoming a nurse or physicians' assistant," said Carroll, a Certified Health Education Specialist for the Health District.

When he learned that he could earn college credit for coursework at the Lorain County JVS, Carroll enrolled in the school's Allied Health Sciences Program to put his career on the fast track.

"The Allied Health Sciences program was just what I was looking for," said Carroll, who attended Wellington High School. "Being able to earn free college credit, well that was just too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Carroll earned 13 college credits and several industry certifications by the time he completed the Allied Health Sciences program and graduated from high school in 2010. He transferred these credits to LCCC and earned his Bachelor's in Public Health with a concentration in Health Education and Promotion through the University Partnership Program in three years.

"I had a definite advantage over other first-year students studying Public Health through the University Partnership," Carroll said. "The JVS was a springboard and my instructor, Mrs. Holly Sofia, was my role model. She motivated me, encouraged me to set goals. She helped me see the benefits of hard work."

Carroll also learned valuable skills volunteering and spending a summer interning with the Medical Reserve Corps, an opportunity opened up to him through Sofia.

While attending LCCC, Carroll also worked for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides nutritious food and nutrition education for pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five.

"There were a lot of late nights studying," Carroll said. "But I was fortunate to have a boss who understood what I was trying to accomplish and was flexible with my hours as a part-time employee."

As a Health Education Specialist, Carroll works as part of the Health Education department which, in various methods and ways, works to influence behavior to improve health in the Lorain County community.

Currently Carroll is serving in a professional capacity on the JVS Tobacco Free Committee. He's using his expertise to offer support and professional advice to the JVS as it implements a tobacco-free workplace policy.

"I'm dedicated to improving the health and well-being of county residents and love the challenge of finding efficient ways to do that," he said.

In 2015, Carroll will be continuing his education. "I will be pursuing a Master's of Public Health through the University of Minnesota," stated Carroll. "I'm looking forward to this opportunity to learn how to better serve the public by helping people learn to make healthy choices."