Barbara Jean Knight, student health educator at ETSU, spends her days helping students with problems that occur in their everyday lives.
“I see patients for personal health management, which includes stress management, weight loss, eating disorders, smoking cessation and sexual health focus,” Knight said.
Knight is native to a very rural area in Greene County called the McDonald community and has lived in Tennessee all of her life. She graduated from ETSU with an associate degree in applied science, a bachelor’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in public health.
Knight has been the student health coordinator for ETSU for four years.
“I answer health questions via e-mail and on the phone, organize and work with other organizations to set up booths, do speaking engagements in classrooms, do health surveys on campus, create medication information sheets to hand out to student patients and create pamphlets for our student health clinic,” she said.
Knight said she loves the ETSU campus population and loves to work with students. She said she dislikes not having the funds to do the type of programming and work on the campus as it relates to health information.
“I have very little that I can talk about because everything that students tell me or most of my experiences with students are those that can’t be shared,” she said. “I am very careful to never repeat anything that I see or hear because if I did, students would not feel comfortable speaking with me.”
Right now Knight is working on a web site that she created at www.etsu.edu/studenthealth. Students can log on to get more information about student health services.
Knight also has a very busy life outside of work with her family and hobbies.
“I am a bird watcher,” she said. “I have 12 bird feeders in my backyard, and I am a member of several bird-watcher organizations. Also, my seven grandchildren are my hobbies.”
Knight would like everyone to remember one thing about life.
“Live every day as if it is the last day of your life,” she said. “Take time to remember what is most important and that is your health, family and friends.

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