Health and Human Services News

Helping those in need

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In March 2020, when it became clear that COVID-19 was impacting lives in the Ozarks, Jaime Gnau placed a call to Ozarks Food Harvest.Gnau is a dietitian at the MSU Care Clinic. In May 2020, she graduated with a master’s degree in health promotion and wellness management.

That degree gave her the organizational and leadership skills to launch a food box initiative at the clinic.

“I had a diabetic patient that came in and he was scared to go to the grocery store. He was scared to leave his house. We started doing phone visits to stay connected with him. He didn’t have enough food and it was impacting his blood sugar. I felt so helpless,” Gnau said.

Taking action

Jaime Gnau hauling food boxes.
Jaime Gnau bringing in food supplies at the MSU Care Clinic.

Gnau transformed that feeling into action.

She contacted Ozark Food Harvest and asked if she could get nutritious food to hand out to food-insecure patients.

“I told them the contents I would like to have. Food that is low in sodium, balanced with fruits and vegetables, whole grains over refined grains. I told them how many we would need based on what I assumed would be the need. They stepped up to the plate,” she said.

“My degree in health promotion and wellness management has helped me as far as the academic side. There was a lot of focus on theory and research and that has helped me immensely. It’s a strong program.”

The need exceeded her expectations.

Between March 27 and September 9, staff at MSU Care Clinic parceled out 14,093 pounds of food to their patients.

That translates into 11,744 meals.

The partnership is continuing.

“I am proud of our team. It’s been great. If you are hungry, it’s hard to do anything. I am glad we’ve been able to help with food insecurity. It’s a climbing problem with COVID,” she said.

Big hearted, but not yet a Bear

This is a second career for Gnau.

The Ozark native spent 13 years as a radiologic technologist, but she longed for more.

“I got into health care to help people. In that position I didn’t get that fulfillment. We were told to get people in and out as fast as we could. I couldn’t develop relationships with people,” she said.

So in 2013, Gnau decided to switch careers. She enrolled in Missouri State’s dietetics program.

“I love that Missouri State has the community focus. It resonated with me to be a Bear,” she said. “This is exactly where I want to be.”

She graduated in 2017 and completed her one-year internship in 2018.

Then she decided to pursue a master’s in health promotion and wellness management. The degree would expand her skillset and enhance her degree in dietetics.

“What I really enjoyed was it was flexible enough for me to work part time and take care of my family,” Gnau said. “The faculty were very helpful in helping me complete the process and supporting my goals. It fit really well within my experience as a dietitian. A lot of responsibilities of health educator align with nutrition.”

She landed a job before graduation — at Missouri State.

Gnau wears three hats: she’s a clinical instructor in the biomedical sciences department, a dietitian at the MSU Care Clinic, and clinical coordinator for the dietetic internship program.

“I love that I get to teach and remain in clinic,” Gnau said.  “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Earn a master’s degree in health promotion and wellness management

Spring 2020 graduate spotlight: Hannah and Julie Anderson

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The timing was perfect for mother-daughter duo Julie and Hannah Anderson to study speech-language pathology. 

After working in the preschool setting for 13 years, Julie decided it was time to get her degree. At the same time, Hannah was transferring schools and changing her field of study.  

“Mom was researching speech-language pathology as a potential major, and her research is what got me interested,” Hannah said.  

That’s when the fun began.  

Back to school with a built-in study buddy 

Hannah and Julie both started at Missouri State in the communication sciences and disorders program in fall 2017. They graduated together in spring 2020, completing the speech-language pathology track. 

Since they started and finished at the same time, they had most classes together.  

“I really enjoyed having a built–in study buddy,” Julie said. “I had to start studying material quickly when we entered the program, because it had been so long since I was in school. It helped to always have someone there learning the same things as me.”  

Julie also never felt out of place as a nontraditional student.  

“Everyone in my classes, from students to professors, were welcoming and I felt like I fit in,” Julie said. “I even got invited to a classmate’s 21st birthday party.”  

Both give high praise to faculty and staff in the communication sciences and disorders department—Jennifer Pratt, Hillary Mayes, Dr. Shurita Thomas-Tate and Dr. Alana Mantie-Kozlowski.  

“They’re super smart women who are really passionate about what they do,” Hannah said. “And when a professional in the field is passionate, it makes you more passionate about what you’re learning.”  

Two women facing away from the camera
Hannah (left) and Julie (right) don their decorated mortarboards.

Post-graduate life: Julie 

After graduation, Julie started work as a speech-language pathology assistant in the Marshfield R-1 school district. She meets weekly with around 50 students who have language or articulation disorders.  

“We do what is called drill and play, which is a back and forth between an engaging game, like Uno, and the speech drills,” Julie said. “I love helping those kids and watching them improve week by week.”  

She cites experiences at MSU that paved the way for her career.  

“We took a clinical observation class where I got to watch how SLPs treat many different disorders, and I got to assist a graduate student with her child client who had an articulation disorder,” Julie said. “Those experiences prepared me to be a teacher of children with these disorders.”  

After achieving her goal of getting a degree, Julie is thankful to be in the position she is in now.  

“I feel like I’m finally doing what I was meant to do,” she said.  

woman sitting at table in classroom
Julie in her Marshfield classroom.

Post-graduate life: Hannah 

Hannah started in the speech-language pathology graduate program in summer 2020. She plans to work with children as an SLP.  

“The good thing about this field is that I can work in a lot of different settings,” Hannah said. “But right now, my heart is set on helping kids.”  

woman standing against a wall
Hannah in her SLP graduate school scrubs.

COVID-19 altered her graduate school experience, but she still sees the value in what she’s learning.  

“We are working with clients over teletherapy, which is a COVID alteration,” Hannah said. “But, I am applying all the information I learned during undergrad, and I feel like I’m really preparing for my career.”  

She does miss going to school with her mom, but found a way to continue intertwining their experiences.  

“I come home and tell her about what I’m learning in class, knowing that she can take that knowledge and use it in her classroom,” Hannah said. “And when I have a child client, I can go to her for advice. We’re still learning from each other every day.”  

COVID-19 and physical education: Working it out

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Sean Nevills, physical education and sports management alumnus, is ready to help schools across America work around COVID-19.

At the start of August, he was appointed project director for the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America‘s COVID-19 project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control.

In his role, a year-long cooperative agreement, Nevills will lead efforts to create resources focused on distance learning, trauma-informed practice, teacher self-care and cultural sensitivity in physical education.

Listen to Nevills discuss more about his new role with Missouri SHAPE’s Chris Stehle.