Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics
No One Does it Alone – The Power of Cheerleaders
As I ask you to support Kennesaw State’s Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics program, what I’m really asking is for you to be that cheerleader for the students. Your help provides advocacy, mentorship, and closes the financial gap for our students. More importantly, it creates a circle of gratitude where graduates give back by becoming mentors for the next generation, lifting them along the way.
Look no further than my own story to understand how the right mentor can set someone on the path to success. When I moved to the United States from India in 1996 to study computer science at the University of Maryland, there were only handful of women in my class. That number shrank into the single digits by the time I graduated. When I began working as a technology and management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, I saw the same gender disparity.
As a woman of color living in a new country and working in a male-dominated technology industry, it was easy to feel like I didn’t belong. I was proud of my accomplishments, but I saw nothing explaining why I should be an anomaly. It dawned on me that the reason so few women work in technology isn’t a lack of aptitude, it’s that they have a scarcity of role models, mentors, and sponsors showing them that they can.
I knew I wanted to be that role model, but I wasn’t sure exactly what route to take. One of my former college professors at the University of Maryland used to encourage me to become an educator, insisting that my drive and skillset were a perfect fit for the classroom. I ignored him at first, because I knew my future was in the corporate world. But, after several years in that life, his words stuck with me, and I eventually earned a Ph.D. from the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, started my journey as an Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University, and found my true calling.
While one mentor helped me discover my love for teaching and mentoring, another – Kennesaw State’s current president Kat Schwaig – set me on the path to launching the first-of-its kind MSHMI program. In 2009, I was a tenure-track assistant professor when Kat, who was a dean at the time, recommended me to sit on the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s healthcare IT leadership council.
Through these 7:30 am meetings in downtown Atlanta, I was able to work with several leaders in Georgia’s healthcare and tech worlds. Then-Gov. Casey Cagle asked the chamber to help grow the state’s healthcare IT workforce and I had an idea. I took my plans to Kat for a novel graduate degree that addresses the challenge of creating a health informatics workforce, and she gave unwavering support. Suddenly the wheels were turning and the vision took flight. She cleared roadblocks, allocated resources, and advocated for me and the program at every step of the process – she exemplified servant leadership and much of who I am today is because of her advocacy.
Thanks to Kat’s support and vision, the MSHMI program has created opportunities for more than 250 students. With women representing half of the program, we are helping bring gender parity to the healthcare information technology space and creating a world where women and young girls know they are welcome.
With your support, we could do even more. Your contribution will directly support scholarships that close the financial gap for students as well as professional certifications, access to networking events and industry conferences, and a variety of other professional development opportunities.
Not too long ago, I felt like an outsider in my field. Today, thanks to the many people who believed in me, I’m watching hundreds of women succeed in that same industry. Meanwhile, the reach and impact of our program continues to grow across national boundaries spreading into Europe, Africa, and Asia.
A decade after we started this project, our work is being validated by the industry with awards and recognitions I could have only dreamt of. I’m truly honored and privileged to have recently been named Women in Technology’s Woman of the Year for STEAM Education, Technology Association of Georgia’s Tech Leader of the Year, and a member of TITAN 100 Georgia.
With every success comes a responsibility to be the voice for the voiceless. None of my success would have been possible without support from the army of men and women who hold me high, believe in me, and inspired me to shatter glass ceilings. I hope you will join me in supporting the next generation of healthcare IT leaders and in giving opportunities to succeed to the mentors, advocates and cheerleaders of tomorrow.
Sweta Sneha, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics
Professor of Information Systems
Michael J. Coles College of Business
Kennesaw State University
Make a one-time or recurring contribution to the MSHMI program.
Simply select “Healthcare Management Informatics Program” from the drop down menu.
