Background:
Mary Meyer is the Project Director of the Comprehensive
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) grant at the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. located in Suffolk County, New York.
The CAPP program
helps to decrease adolescent pregnancy through a comprehensive approach to
reducing the risk of initial and repeat pregnancies, reducing STDs and HIV/AIDS
rates among adolescents, and promoting healthy sexual behaviors. The initiative
– which receives funding from the New York State Department of Health –
addresses the underlying issues associated with adolescent parenting as well as
race, ethnic, and geographical disparities related to adolescent sexual health
outcomes. CAPP encourages alternatives to sexual activity by promoting an
optimal transition into healthy young adulthood with after-school programs,
evidence-based interventions, and community service learning. Mary is also a
licensed social worker, receiving her Masters of Social Work from Stony Brook
University. She recently just received her Certificate in Nonprofit Management
from Manhattanville College’s School of Business.
What inspired you to take the certificate program?
I was presented with the opportunity to attend the certificate
program by management at work. My supervisor identified me as being a good
candidate for the program and, with approval from upper management, I was asked
if this would be something I was interested in. I quickly embraced the
opportunity, as I knew it would further develop my social work background and
provide me with more insight into the management aspect of a nonprofit.
How did the certificate program help prepare you for your challenges at work?
The certificate program gave me exposure to different
aspects of a nonprofit agency. As my position is associated more with direct
services, I was able to understand the administrative and management aspects of
the grant I work on. With this understanding, I believe my service delivery was
strengthened, as I now had a better idea of the “behind the scenes” work being
done—and there is a ton of it!
Did you meet interesting students and professors with whom you would like to stay in contact?
A huge part of working at a nonprofit agency is being
able to network with other agencies—local and national. This course gave me the
opportunity to see what other agencies do and showed me how they function on a
management level. It connected me with students and professors who brought
different strengths to the table. I’m definitely going to stay in touch with
the people I met during this experience. You never know when you may need to
call upon another person’s strength for guidance in enhancing your own.
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