Featured Alumna: Qua’Tavia White

Elizabeth City native Qua’Tavia White now calls Greenville home. As a first-generation college student, White said that ECU was the only college she ever wanted to attend. In 2018, she graduated with her B.S. in public health with a minor in science.

During her time at ECU, White was a member of the Marching Pirates Drumline and had the opportunity to serve the community while interning at the Intergenerational Community Center in west Greenville. After graduating, she began to work at a regional health department and quickly advanced into a supervisory position. Currently, White serves as the health education specialist and is the lead coordinator of Triple P — the Positive Parenting Program. This program covers 12 counties in northeastern North Carolina. In this role, White coordinates the development, implementation, planning and evaluation of Triple P program while working with a wide array of community stakeholders to establish community support for the parenting program with families.

White tells us, “East Carolina helped me discover my passion, to serve. My current position allows me to do just that, helping the community, specifically parents and children. Even in my off time, I find myself exploring ways to enhance my work in the community.” White is a member of the North Carolina Public Health Association and presented at the 2020 UNC Rural Health Conference, with the workshop focusing on Building Capacity in Rural North Carolina Communities Using the Principles of Implementation Science. She is currently presenting Racial Equity and Implicit Bias Workshops across northeast NC with work that she co-authored, Helping organizations address institutional racism, identify ways to support the community, and identifying next steps in Hertford, NC.

“I knew the College of Health and Human Performance was perfect for me once I declared my major,” White tells us. “I enjoyed all of my public health courses and the projects that came along with them. Public health allows you to think outside of the box and explore ways to improve the community. Health Equity and Community Strategies for Health Education were my favorite courses. My instructors were very passionate about the topics and passed this passion down to students. HHP did an excellent job of preparing me for my current work. Many of the projects I completed are exactly what I do today in my career.”

White’s advice for future students? “Discover your passion and follow it. You will be surprised by where and how far it takes you. Don’t be afraid to take chances and accept challenges. Whether you succeed or fail, seize the moment as a learning experience.”