糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alum Nathan Jeffers Leads Marketing and PR at CARTI
Nathan Jeffers has built his career on the belief that clear, compassionate communication can change lives.
The Jacksonville native, who now lives in Cabot, serves as director of marketing and public relations at CARTI, an Arkansas-based cancer care network with 18 locations. He stepped into the role after a personal health experience reshaped his perspective on communication in health care.
That turning point clarified his calling and propelled him toward a new professional path.
鈥淣urses, mentors, family and friends all visited as I healed, and the unique perspective it afforded, along with the pause to my 鈥榥ormal鈥� daily life, changed everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淎fter leaving the hospital, I immediately focused on moving into a communications role within the health care field and quickly determined the best way I could enact this change would be to further my education with a master鈥檚 degree at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�
Jeffers earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in speech communication, now applied communication, from University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He returned to the university in 2018 to complete a master鈥檚 degree in applied communication.
鈥淏efore I had even graduated, the prospective degree helped me gain interviews and ultimately my first role in health care,鈥� Jeffers said. 鈥淭he skills I learned laid a foundation for my daily work 鈥� individually, within teams and across the organization.鈥�
Graduate school came with challenges. Jeffers worked two jobs while completing his coursework part time, but he said the demanding schedule helped him stay focused on his goals.
鈥淚 firmly believe the greatest forms of strength are born from struggle, and earning my master鈥檚 degree was both an incredible experience and an intellectual challenge,鈥� he said.
Jeffers said the demands of work and graduate school often pushed him to his limits.
鈥淭here were certainly days when it was hard to focus because I was worn out from work or the hours I could dedicate were limited,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut keeping an eye on both my short- and long-term goals helped me dig deep to find motivation.鈥�
That perspective, he said, became part of his growth.
鈥淟ooking back at who I was before I started my master鈥檚 journey and who I would become made those difficult moments worthwhile,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s an early advisor once told me, life is often not about the end result 鈥� it鈥檚 about the journey it takes to get there.鈥�
Jeffers recalled collaborating with classmates in the Communication Skills Center, learning communication theory, and developing skills in writing, organizational culture and crisis communication 鈥� tools he still uses today. He credited his wife, Jess, for her support throughout the program and said several faculty members shaped his academic experience, particularly Dr. Gerald Driskill and Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter.
鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock helped me become a better version of myself,鈥� Jeffers said, describing the university as authentic, welcoming and empowering.
鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock is a place where working adults can grow without having to pause real life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful it鈥檚 a university that meets people where they are, embraces them and helps them move closer to who they want to become.鈥�
Driskill said Jeffers stood out as a graduate student for his commitment to personal and professional development.
鈥淗e鈥檚 committed to modeling ethical and effective communication,鈥� Driskill said. 鈥淗e practices re-vision 鈥� returning to projects to strengthen them.鈥�
Driskill still uses Jeffers鈥� final graduate project, which examined organizational culture and responses to the COVID-19 crisis, as a model for current students.
鈥淗e went beyond expectations, not only by integrating credible research but by providing analysis with meaningful applications,鈥� he said.
In his role at CARTI, Jeffers continues to apply those principles.
鈥淗is focus on an ethic of care 鈥� on patient care and those they serve 鈥� captures how he lives out our department鈥檚 mission of co-creating better social worlds through positive communication,鈥� Driskill said.