When USF College of Public Health alumna Kristen Lewis graduated from Purdue University in 2010, she had her heart set on becoming a medical doctor—a neonatologist, in fact. Never mind that she didn’t really like science and didn’t do well in her science courses.

“I wanted to impact the health of communities in need,” said Lewis, a Detroit native. “I thought, at the time, the only way to do that was to become a medical doctor. At no point in my undergraduate career did anyone ever tell me about public health.”

Switching gears

It wasn’t until Lewis had graduated and she was shadowing an MD that the words public health came up in conversation. 

“The doctor asked me why I wanted to get into medicine, and I told him because I want to help people prevent disease, live healthy lives and have access to quality medical care. He said, ‘Oh, it sounds like you’re interested in public health.’ “

“The doctor asked me why I wanted to get into medicine, and I told him because I want to help people prevent disease, live healthy lives and have access to quality medical care. He said, ‘Oh, it sounds like you’re interested in public health.’ “

Suddenly, Lewis had her calling. She did some networking and became a public health intern with Detroit Wayne County Health Authority.

One of her first public health experiences was volunteering at a local health fair. 

“There were tents and tons of people and just this great community environment,” Lewis recounted. “There were all these opportunities for people to access the things that could keep them healthy. I just remember walking through the fair and saying to myself, ‘Where has public health been all my life?’ ”

“I just remember walking through the fair and saying to myself, ‘Where has public health been all my life?’ “

From a rocky beginning to a solid finish

In 2012, lured by Tampa’s warm weather and a desire to further her public health career, Lewis started at the COPH, where she concentrated in health policy management. She also began working full time as an outreach specialist for the Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office, Inc. (DACCO), one of Florida’s largest community-based providers of behavioral health services. Six months in, she was promoted to program supervisor of DACCO’s Disease Intervention Services, supervising the facilitation of six concurrent HIV and substance-abuse prevention programs.

But the high-stress, demanding job was taking its toll on Lewis’ studies, and she began to wonder if she’d ever get her degree.

“There was actually a point where I was asked to withdraw from the university because my grades were so low.”

“It was really very challenging to perform at my job and school,” Lewis said. “There was actually a point where I was asked to withdraw from the university because my grades were so low.”

Lewis switched to a non-degree-seeking track and over the next few months brought up her GPA to a point where she was back in good standing with the college. 

“I did everything possible to get the highest grades I could. I went to my professors’ office hours, I took the extra webinar, I built relationships with the faculty.”

“I had to realign my priorities,” said Lewis, who graduated with her MPH in 2015. “I put 90 percent of my energy into my schoolwork. I probably wasn’t the best employee during that time, but I knew I needed this degree to get where I wanted in my career. I did everything possible to get the highest grades I could. I went to my professors’ office hours, I took the extra webinar, I built relationships with the faculty. They saw me working really, really hard. I always tell people you never know where your work ethic will take you. Maybe you’re not the best biostatistician student. But if you try your hardest and build those relationships, your professors will work with you.”

Supporting the underdog

Today, Lewis runs CBK Consulting Group, which provides career transition and development support for public health, health care administration and social service professionals.

She’s also a vice president of health strategies for the American Heart Association, where she’s currently working on the National Hypertension Control Initiative, evaluating how well the program is reducing rates of hypertension in African American and Latino communities. In addition, she’s an evaluation consultant with American Bone Health’s Healthy Bones Educational Initiatives.

But what Lewis finds particularly rewarding is her work training public health professionals in small, community-based organizations to build their evaluation resources and capabilities so they can perform their own program evaluations and increase their funding.

“I love that I’m able to support the underdog and get these small organizations to be self-sufficient.”

“I love that I’m able to support the underdog and get these small organizations to be self-sufficient,” Lewis said. “I’m providing them with resources and tools to empower them to do their best work. I develop a data-driven set of proof that shows this program is working. And if it’s not, here’s what we can do to improve it. My goal is to expand the number of organizations we work with and help them continue to do the great work they do.”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you want to be when you were young?

The president

Where can we find you on the weekends?

Doing pretty much anything that my two-year-old twins are screaming at me to do, like playing on the splash pad or hanging at the pool!

What’s the last book you read?

“Parable of the Sower,” by Octavia E. Butler

What superpower would you like to have?

Time travel and flying

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

“Cabin in the Sky”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health