Are you curious about how Fairfield’s dedicated MPH career coach can transform your professional journey? Meet Montrece McNeil Ransom, JD, MPH, PCC, BCC, our seasoned public health coach offering personalized coaching and a nurturing community for our Fairfield online Master of Public Health (MPH) students and grads. Coach Montrece empowers her clients to unlock their potential through a holistic coaching approach driven by her mission: to unleash the power and potential of the public health workforce, one student at a time.
Empowering Fairfield Online MPH Students to find Fulfilling Careers
Being a career coach for Fairfield holds a special place in my heart because I intimately understand the struggles many students face when navigating their path in public health. I, too, grappled with finding my place in this field, but it was through the guidance of mentors and personalized support that I discovered my calling. This personal journey fuels my commitment to helping others find their footing and purpose within public health.
As a coach, my focus is not only on helping students develop their skills and find their career paths but also on fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment. By creating a supportive environment where students feel valued and understood, I aim to empower them to reach their full potential and make a lasting impact in the public health field.
Through personalized guidance and mentorship, I give students the tools (and hopefully, the confidence!) they need to navigate their professional journey with authenticity, clarity, and purpose. Witnessing their growth and seeing them thrive in their careers is not just fulfilling for me, but it reinforces the importance of my mission: To unleash the power and potential of the public health workforce, one student at a time.
Coach Montrese McNeil Ransom
“My mission: To unleash the power and potential of the public health workforce, one student at a time.”
Coaching
1/1 coaching sessions for each student enrolled in the program.
Each student client has access to several coaching hours during the academic year. The goal is to partner with my clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize personal and professional potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional, or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.
My coaching approach respects the availability and growth edge (stage of development that an individual is currently at) of each student, allowing for a variety of coaching activities (in session, via our platform, and for homework) while still delivering the results-focused career coaching they want and need.
Community
Group coaching/Guest Speaker opportunities
While each student has distinct coaching needs, there will be information, tools, and resources that is better shared in a group format through webinars or group coaching. These group engagements provide unique opportunities for sharing, learning, and community building.
These community-building opportunities can feature guest speakers who can speak directly to universal concerns or needs that students are raising in their one-on-one coaching sessions. Community and connection are key to grounding our belonging in the field of public health, building our networks, and ensuring accountability.
Content
Access to a customized Fairfield U BELONG Public Health Career Platform
The Fairfield U BELONG Public Health Career Coaching Platform is an interactive, virtual container where participating students and alums can access public health career coaching tools, resources, and career development information. The Fairfield University BELONG Career Coaching opportunity includes
- Personality & strength assessments
- My public health position description cross-check exercise
- My public health “wheel of jobs” exercise
- Journal prompts and affirmations
- Resume and cover letter checklists
- Personal branding tools
- Interview tools
Career coaching support process for MPH students and alums:
My process for supporting MPH students and alums in their career journey is rooted in personalized guidance, mentorship, and a deep understanding of their unique aspirations and challenges. The process follows the BELONG Framework, a powerful and modern career platform curated specifically for MPH students. It is designed to encourage and aid in expanding students’ self-awareness surrounding their career paths and facilitate growth.
- Building an Authentic Career Path
- Elements of an Effective Resume
- Leveraging your Personal Brand
- Optimizing your LinkedIn
- Navigating the Interview Process
- Growing Consistently
Career Coaching Support Process for MPH Students and Alums
1. Initial Assessment/Status Check
The first 1/1 Coaching Session and pre-work is focused on understanding each individual’s background, skills, interests, and career goals. This allows me to tailor my support to their specific needs and aspirations.
2. Goal Setting/Individual Development Plan
Together, we begin to identify or refine their clear and achievable career goals. Whether they’re seeking to enter a specific sector within public health, transition to a new role, or advance in their current career path, we work collaboratively to define their objectives.
3. Skills Development/Position Description Cross-Check
Together, we begin to identify or refine their clear and achievable career goals. Whether they’re seeking to enter a specific sector within public health, transition to a new role, or advance in their current career path, we work collaboratively to define their objectives.
4. Networking Support
Networking is crucial in the public health field, so I assist students and alums in building and leveraging their professional networks. This may involve connecting them with industry professionals and alumni or encouraging them to attend networking events and conferences together.
5. Job Search and Interview Strategies
I offer personalized support throughout the job search process, including identifying job opportunities, crafting tailored application materials, and preparing for interviews. I also provide guidance on leveraging online platforms and resources to maximize their job search efforts.
6. Belonging and Empowerment
Central to my approach is fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment. I create a supportive and inclusive environment where students and alums feel valued, heard, and empowered to pursue their career goals with confidence.
Meet Coach Montrece Ransom: Professional Experience and Credentials
Montrece McNeill Ransom, JD, MPH, PCC (Professional Certified Coach), BCC (Board Certified Coach) is an award-winning International Coaching Federation ICF-certified executive leadership coach and a DEI and Belongify certified belonging strategist.
With more than 20 years of experience in public health law and workforce development, Coach Montrece’s practice centers on practitioners in public health, healthcare, and law-related spaces. She is passionate about the power of belonging and helping high-achieving people achieve their highest potential. She sees this work as essential to advancing equity and justice across the social and structural determinants of health.
Education Highlights
- Certification in positive psychology coaching, training and facilitation certifications through the Association for Talent Development
- Executive Leadership Coaching Certification from Georgetown University
- Earned her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law
- Master of Public Health degree from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
Accolades and Awards
- Coached and mentored hundreds, helping them create inspired, authentic lives and careers by design – rather than default.
- Served as the coach for celebrities, leaders in public health, healthcare and the law, c-suite level executives, and she is the coach for the Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation’s Leadership Program.
- Appointed as a Presidential Management Fellow and led CDC’s public health law-related training and workforce development efforts for her last ten years of service.
- 2017 recipient of the American Public Health Association’s Jennifer Robbins Award, an award-winning DEI-certified Belonging Strategist, and an ICF-certified Leadership and Empowerment Coach.
- Frequent lecturer and prolific speaker. Keynote or guest speaker on belonging and the workforce for ASTHO, AMCHP, NACCHO, Merck, Clario, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, Illinois Society of Anesthesiologists, and many more.
- Contributing author of 101+ Careers in Public Health and lead editor of the textbook Public Health Law: Concepts and Case Studies, and the co-author of the Glambitous Guide to Greatness: How to go from doubt to destiny and from surviving to thriving.
- Served as the Career and Leadership Coach for the Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation 2022-2023 Leadership Institute.
- Founded the Your Career Owned Collective (The Collective), a monthly group coaching membership program for students and young professional women in public health, law, policy, and related fields.
- Served as the Principal Coach for the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential’s Youth Advisory Council.
“Working with Coach Montrece gave me confidence, and I now see how important public health education is and various ways to apply the knowledge. My favorite part of the BELONG Public Health Career Coaching Journey was understanding how to communicate and network. My resume has been an issue for me in finding a new job. After working with Coach Montrece, I now have a revised resume that I’m proud to share with potential employers.
“Working with Coach Montrece was educational because I learned new information. My favorite part of the BELONG Public Health Career Coaching Journey was working on my resume and learning about AI as a tool. After working with Coach Montrece, I now know where to find public health job opportunities, and I have learned how to negotiate a salary with the potential for a 5-10 percent increase.
“Working with Coach Montrece was efficient and helpful. I feel that I gained a lot of valuable information in such a short amount of time. Everything I have learned has been beneficial regarding resume building and career navigation. My favorite part of the BELONG Public Health Career Coaching Journey was finding where I fit in the public health realm. After working with Coach Montrece, I now have a resume that conveys my experience in an eye-catching manner and offers a glimpse into who I am and what I would like to accomplish in my future career.
“Working with Coach Montrece was helpful and full of learning. Working with Montrece helped me to be more focused on how to look for jobs and how to brand myself to get the job that I want. My favorite parts of the BELONG Public Health Career Coaching Journey were the 1.1 resume session and LinkedIn improvements. After working with Coach Montrece, I now know how to be more secure in my job search as a first-year graduate student.”
Learn more about Fairfield University’s Master of Public Health