Current position:
Community Engagement Services Outreach Advocate Maternity Care Coalition
Marissa Campbell, MPH, graduated from Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health in 2025 with a major in Community Health and Prevention and a minor in Maternal and Child Health.
Marissa’s interest in maternal and child health (MCH) began at home with three sisters who are passionate about reproductive justice and her mom working in the MCH field, guiding her to study MCH.
Additionally, the current state of affairs had a large influence on her along with her passion for MCH after learning about it as an undergraduate student.
When she began looking at graduate schools to further her education, she wanted a program that focused on MCH specifically, which is how she found Drexel’s Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence.
During her MPH program at Drexel, Marissa was widely involved with the MCH program. She served as the Maternal and Child Health Student Organization (MCHSO) President during her first year and learned incredible lessons throughout her tenure.
Additionally, she completed a Title V MCH Summer Internship, supporting the New Jersey Department of Health Division of Family Health Systems with their 2025 MCH Services Block Grant State Needs Assessment.
What is your current role? How are you using your current MCH training?
I currently work at Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) as a Community Engagement Services Outreach Advocate. Through this role, I travel to and attend community events, resource fairs, health fairs, health facilities, MCH-based organizations, and food pantries and provide community members with essential supplies, such as wipes, formula, sexual health products, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.
Additionally, at these events I help community members become connected with the services provided by Maternity Care Coalition and continue to expand our outreach throughout the Philadelphia area.
I became aware of this position through my MPH program, as Dr. Renee Davis [MCH Coordinator & Senior Research Associate] and Dr. Renee Turchi [MCH Director and Principal Investigator] often talk about local organizations. Through them and other professors, I learned about the importance of MCC.
Once I learned about MCC, I became connected with one of the VPs at MCC and spoke with her after graduation.
How did your time as an MCH Trainee at Drexel Dornsife influence your career?
When I was going into graduate school, I had a basic and broad understanding of maternal and child health, so the program gave me opportunities to grow and expand that knowledge.
I loved my MCH courses at Dornsife, and I always looked forward to them as I felt like there were a lot of different areas within MCH that I could study.
What advice would you give to current and future Maternal and Child Health Trainees?
I would recommend for students to get involved as much as you can. Even though graduate school can be overwhelming, the best thing I did was join MCHSO because it gave me the opportunities to be involved in events and to make new friends. Take advantage of any opportunity that arises, even if you are not sure if it’s the right fit for you, it’s worth it to go to the introduction sessions and see for yourself.
Additionally, I would recommend meeting as many professors as you can and networking with them, especially if you are interested in becoming a TA.
Finally, start job searching earlier than you would think, even if it’s just searching for organizations or jobs that you might want, so you can see if Drexel has any connections that would be beneficial for you.
Drexel Dornsife's Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.