Brianna
Chesteen Story By:
C. M. Schmidlkofer
W
hile most 8-year-old girls were hosting tea parties for their dolls, Brianna Chesteen had already made a very grown-up commitment to help others achieve and maintain good health in her community. Noticing her family members struggle with chronic health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and breast cancer, she had become impassioned with the idea of providing a health education center for minorities – and told her mother about her desire one day on the way to school. “I wanted to know why, and if I can help my family maintain a healthier lifestyle,” she said. “That one question sparked my interest in
I WANTED TO KNOW WHY, AND IF I CAN HELP MY FAMILY MAINTAIN A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. -Brianna Chesteen
pursuing a career in public health and education.” She held to her dream, moving from her hometown in Ocala at age 17 to Gainesville to attend Santa Fe College, achieving her Associate’s Degree in Health Science in 2013, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health in 2015 at the University of South Florida in Tampa. To better understand the relationship between health and behavior and how psychology might be applied to effective health education and wellness programs using a holistic health approach, Chesteen obtained a Master’s Degree in Health Education and Behavior from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2017. At that point she worked within the Eastside of Gainesville community as a volunteer on research projects specializing in HIV. Her goal was to learn first-hand of the struggles Alachua County residents faced in order to create health education programs specific to their unique needs. In August 2019, her dream of opening a non-profit holistic center, specifically for minorities, came to fruition when gainesvilleblackprofessionals.com
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