RUMFORD — Kristen Provencher teaches health at Mountain Valley High School. Over the last two years, she has also been a student earning her master’s degree in public health at University of New England. Recently, she addressed her classmates at their hooding ceremony.

In her speech Provencher said, “The reason that this is such a proud moment for me is because going through this program at this point in my life was one of the most challenging experiences I have been through, second only to my husband’s deployment to Afghanistan. I have a full-time job teaching high school health, I’m a mother, (so two full time jobs!) and I coach lacrosse in the spring.”

After doing her research, Provencher selected her program for an important reason.

She said, “Earning an advanced degree is becoming increasingly important in many occupations, and teaching is no exception. The most common degree earned in my profession, of course, is a Masters of Education. I briefly considered going that route, but after a quick google search and the realization that I could get my master’s degree by taking only health classes, I was sold.”

Last year Provencher traveled to Ghana in West Africa for a health mission. The UNE group set up health clinics in the city of Sekondi as well as more remote rural area. The group consisted of 20 people including students in physical therapy, physician’s assistant, social work, nursing and public health. Two nurse practitioners and a licensed physical therapist accompanied the party. They treated everything from open wounds to chronic disease like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Provencher said, “Whenever I tell someone that I am getting my Master of Public Health, the question that follows is always, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ I think what they are asking is, what type of job am I going to look for once I have earned the degree. The answer is that I’m not looking for a new job, that’s not why I entered this program.

“That question has been asked of me so many times, though, that I have started to think about it on a deeper level,” she said. “What am I going to do with it? I am going to continue helping my students learn about the most important subject in their lives: health. I am going to use my knowledge to lead a healthy life and be a role model for my family and community. And lastly, I am going to raise my son to believe that health is a priority, it is a human right and that as a population we are only as strong as the weakest members of our society.”