Samantha Gassel

I didn’t always know that I would be in the healthcare world. I had an interest in it, but I was convinced I would be on Broadway. Then I thought I would be a theatre teacher and got my BA in Theatre Education from Emerson College. But here I am and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

My health and theatre worlds didn’t collide until a few years ago. I was completing my student teaching, teaching theatre to high school students. On the first day of Epilepsy Awareness Month, I informed the freshmen that I have epilepsy. The next day, they all showed up wearing purple — the epilepsy awareness color. A few days later, one of the girls told the class that she has diabetes, and then another girl opened up about her severe anxiety disorder. Before I knew it, these students were opening up to each other in ways I hadn’t imagined.

As the students shared their struggles, they took time to educate each other about what it meant from a medical standpoint to have conditions like diabetes. The more they understood the conditions, the more they accepted and supported one another. That was when I truly understood the importance of accurately and compassionately communicating about health.

I went on to get my MS in Health Communication from the Tufts University School of Medicine. As a Web Content Specialist at CareContent, I am hoping to make a difference in the health and well-being of others.

I am also obsessed with true crime shows, Bob’s Burgers, jigsaw puzzles, and my beautiful cat, Twyla.