Before making her way to the University of Arizona to pursue her master’s degree, Ravyn Miles studied at University of California Irvine where she received her bachelor’s in public health.
Although initially keen to go after a master’s in medical anthropology, one of her minors, a counselor suggested she continue in public health pointing out her knowledge of how behaviors have affected health outcomes throughout history could help inform and address current and future issues in public health. Ravyn graduated from UArizona in 2018 with her master’s in maternal and child health.
Ravyn first became familiar with Raising Special Kids while doing home visits with children aged birth through five. Some families she worked with would receive a new diagnosis for their child and Ravyn would refer them to our organization. Passionate about the importance of families building strong foundations, she knew the staff at Raising Special Kids would help families begin their journeys armed not only with solid information, but also with hope for their child’s future.
Ravyn will be Raising Special Kids’ first Family Outreach Specialist. She’ll be working primarily with the City of Peoria helping families of children with disabilities impacted by the pandemic locate resources, understand services and effectively participate in their child’s education.
Since beginning her new position, Ravyn’s focus has been building knowledge beyond her educational and birth through five experiences. She shared, “I’ve been struck by the number of additional responsibilities on families’ plates and how Raising Special Kids helps families work through so many different types of challenges. The staff has been so welcoming and it’s so nice to know they’re willing to share their personal and professional experiences.”
Raising Special Kids extends a warm welcome to Ravyn as we look forward to helping families affected by COVID in Peoria and furthering our relationship with the City.