Photo caption: (Left to right) CEHD Dean Paul Alberto, Mrs. Mary Bennett, Janet Eitzen, Mr. Charles Bennett and Department of Kinesiology and Health Chair Jerry Wu pose for a photo at the College of Education & Human Development's Honors Day Ceremony on April 1.
story by Claire Miller
When Janet Eitzen graduated from high school, she’d set her sights on becoming a science teacher or wildlife educator.
She enrolled at Auburn University in their bachelor’s program in natural resources management, gaining foundational knowledge in science. But in taking classes for her minor in public health, she began developing a love for health education.
Eitzen traveled to Madagascar with one of her professors for a project educating families about mosquitoes and their diseases, which deepened her newfound passion for teaching others about health issues.
“That experience opened my eyes to the importance of public health education and the magnitude of its impact on empowering people,” she said. “The next step was clear: I wanted to be a health educator, and pursuing a teaching career in health and physical education was the right choice.”
Eitzen returned from Madagascar and began working as a 4-H educator at the Wahsega 4-H Center in Dahlonega, Ga., and after a few trips to Atlanta, she discovered that Georgia State University’s Department of Kinesiology and Health had academic programs in health and physical education that would be a good fit for her aspirations.
She made Georgia State her new home and learned a great deal from the health and physical education faculty – including how to keep innovating as a teacher and how to advocate for health education.
“I love designing materials and strategies to support other health teachers,” said Eitzen, who currently works as a health teacher at Rockbridge Elementary School in Norcross, Ga. “I have had opportunities to lead professional development sessions for health teachers in my school district and revise and collaborate with the community on our health education standards. In my second year of teaching, I went in front of my school board and advocated for a new health education curriculum, which was adopted the following school year.”
This month, she was recognized for her outstanding teaching and advocacy at the College of Education & Human Development’s Honors Day Ceremony.
She is the 2025 recipient of the Keinon M. Bennett Early Career Teaching Award, which is given to a teacher “who best exemplifies the spirit, professional dedication, personal enthusiasm and positive contributions to the quality of life for all those around them, as shown by the late Keinon Bennett, a Kinesiology and Health alumnus, in his own career.”
“Receiving this award is an incredible and meaningful experience,” she said. “It is an honor to be connected to Keinon's values and dedication and a reminder that my work is part of a larger tradition. I am inspired to uphold Keinon's vision and carry their legacy in my work.”
Eitzen also credits the other health teachers in Gwinnett County Public Schools for the encouragement they’ve provided.
“They are doing incredible work helping students develop skills that are impactful and making health education joyful,” she said. “They deserve all the recognition and praise for what they do and truly are my greatest inspirations and keep me excited for all I want to accomplish in health education.”