Kristian Kirkland, Public Health Nurse with the Coffee County Health Department, was one of five students awarded a scholarship from Share Health Southeast Georgia. The scholarships awarded were offered to traditional and nontraditional students within the region who are pursuing degrees in healthcare.
Since 2016, Share Health Southeast Georgia has been able to support 21 healthcare students in their educational pursuits in 11 southeast Georgia counties. New to the Southeast Health District, Kristian has quickly learned what public health truly entails. When asked why he was drawn to a career in public health, Kristian shared that he was drawn to public health because of the ability to help people from infancy into adulthood. Currently a Registered Nurse, Kristian plans to obtain his Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Leadership and Management. He will attend Western Governor’s University.
Additionally, Kristian would like to obtain his Master of Business Administration. Kristian shares that his faith plays a large role in his love and passion for helping others. When he’s not at work, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, participating in CrossFit and attending sports events.
Share Health Southeast Georgia was established in September of 2015 to build the region’s capacity to address the unmet healthcare needs of Southeast Georgia residents. Share Health Southeast Georgia is dedicated to improving the health of all generations in our sixteen-county community by cultivating partnerships and providing philanthropic and advocacy support to the Southeast Health District.
Share Health’s Board Chair Dr. Josh McCarthy states, “The Share Health Scholarship program is used as a mechanism to further our mission and as a strategy to recruit and retain the public health workforce in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bulloch, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Evans, Jeff Davis, Pierce, Tattnall, Toombs, Ware, and Wayne counties.”