2010

Meeting of MPHA, which began on Sep– tember 11. "I was already work– ing full-hme for the Guard. So I loaded up a van and went to pick up a friend who was going to the coast with me- to attend t he con– vention. When I got there, t he TV was on and I watched the sec– ond plane hit the World Trade Center. "It was just chaos. We had to change the entire program at the last minute due to the key speakers' inability to fly into Mississippi. Dt·. Ed Thompson; State Health Officer at the time, became the

nephews who keep her busy ''1 have no children of my own, but I'm crazy about all of these. I plan to provide t h e shuttle to take t hese 'little people' to sch ool, ba 11 practice, ballet and all the wh il e encourage them to come to ECCC to begin their college e duca– tions!"

obtained a bachelor's degree m social work. She began . working for the Mississippi Department of Health in 1974, primarily in the infectious diseases department. She was the State Director of the Immunization Pro– gram and was also the first Nurse Epidemiol– ogist in the state. She ' also served on the Dis– aster Alert Relief Team (DART) and worked many disasters such as hurricanes, a railroad wreck and spill, MRSA outbreak, Hepatitis outbreak, Typhoid Fever cases and Tuber– culosis outbreaks. Dunng this time, Kennedy returned to the classt·oom and earned a bachelor of science degree in nurs– ing from Mississippi University for Women and the master of pub– lic health degree from the University of Texa~. Following. the com– pll~tion of her master's degree, Kennedy joined. Lhc A1·my Nur~c, Corps :in 1 H8~J.

tion of Military Sur– geons of the United States. "The best part of my career has been know– ing that I had some– thing to do with mak– mg sure soldiers were fit for duty and ready to be deployed and that I had an impact on their success-a positive effect on them." While reminiscing of her days as an East

" Genie (Callahan Hall) and I are still friends today, although we only get to see each other once a year at the Neshoba County Fair, which I go to every year! Our dorm room was the gathering place. We also hung out at the Student Union 'and played cards. "I was fortunate to make long-lasting

sissippi that received the most damage. Han– cock County looked like splinters. I just could– n't stop crying.'' . In 2005, Kennedy went on active duty as the Case Manager Supervisor for Commu– nity Based Health Care Organization in Alabama. "This organization covers the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Ten– nessee in managing the health care for those soldiers mjured or becoming ill during the Middle East Conflict. The soldiers are allowed to go home,

"I always· had a_n interest in the mili– tary: ~ Through · .the Health Department;. I enjoyed being ·able ,:to work during disa'sted. I regretted not being, able to serve in Viet– nam or work during Hurricane Camille because I was not old enough. I fe lt like this was a good way t o serve. I am extremely patriotic. I am proud to be a nurse, a veteran