Imagine giving up a career to seek a graduate degree. Then, on your first trip away from home, you decide to pursue that degree in another country.
That’s what Macdonald Aloh decided to do.
Aloh, a native of Ebony States, Nigeria, will graduate from Fort Valley State University (FVSU) December 2024 with a Master of Science degree in Public Health (MPH) with emphasis in environmental health. In addition to being a full-time student, he is also a full-time employee for Monroe County’s Department of Public Health (DPH) in Forsyth, Georgia.
Some of his main responsibilities include pool inspections, well testing and septic inspections.
Before coming to FVSU, Aloh graduated from medical school in Nigeria and was a registered anesthesiologist.
While completing his post-graduate internship, he found out about the MPH program from Caroline Obi, a fellow Nigeran who was completing her studies at FVSU. He then reached out to Dr. Oreta Samples, assistant professor and program coordinator for FVSU’s MPH Program. Samples sent him the requirements for admission to the program. After successfully meeting the criteria, he applied for his student visa and began his trip to the U.S.
Coming from Nigeria, Aloh was a bit concerned about fitting in the U.S. culturally, but once he arrived on FVSU's campus, he felt right at home.
Aloh rates his FVSU student experience a solid 10. “At Fort Valley State University there are professors who will bring out the best in you. They keep encouraging you to work hard and I can say that is their goal,” he said.
The Nigerian native said that when he enrolled in the program, he never knew he would achieve several accolades and opportunities. In 2023, he received the Best Environmental Health Student Award at the Georgia Environmental Health Conference where he won a $2,000 cash prize. He followed that up with a $2,000 scholarship from the FVSU Foundation for his academic achievements.
The MPH student says that having a full-time job while completing work on his degree was no problem because most of his classes began at 6 p.m. He was able to apply some of the experiences from the job to his coursework.
While matriculating at FVSU, Aloh completed an internship with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. His main responsibility was testing wells for high lead content because that was the main source of water for county residents. He also distributed information on lead content to clinics in the county.
Additionally, he participated in a peer review program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he learned how to review, critique and certify articles and papers before being published in the CDC Journal. Aloh was offered and accepted a position as a CDC peer reviewer, a post he still holds.
When it comes to going away to school to pursue a degree, Aloh says one must not be hesitant to venture out and experience new horizons.
“You need to break out of your shell, travel to different areas, explore options and learn about different people and how they behave. You will be amazed as to how much you will learn and how impactful that would be in your life," Aloh said.
Furthermore, Aloh said he recommends FVSU to anybody who wishes to continue their education. “I know of one person from my school back in Nigeria who will soon be attending the university.” Aloh added that he appreciates that at FVSU and in the U.S., one can achieve success with hard work and dedication.
In the future, Aloh said he sees himself as an advocate for the environment, working closely with officials in his home country of Nigeria to improve environmental health.
“I wanted to get more knowledge in another country and make an impact on the health of Nigerians.” He said that earning his degree from FVSU and his work experience with the DPH in Monroe County will make that possible.
The December graduate plans to earn a doctorate degree in environmental health and preventive medicine. Aloh also wants to continue his work as a CDC peer reviewer and conduct impactful research with the goal of winning the Nobel Peace Prize for science.
For more information about the MPH program at FVSU visit https://bit.ly/3WcBNsm.