Victoria Ann Cargill

I attribute my success to a passion for service instilled in me from a young age. Seeing a child suffer from tetanus because his family couldn’t afford vaccinations, and learning from my parents that “to whom much is given, much is required,” inspired me to seek opportunities to help others. That dedication has carried through to my work with community health workers, reinforced by personal experiences including CHWs supporting me as I managed my son with autism through a medical emergency. That passion drives me to persist, take action, and leave a meaningful impact.

The best career advice I ever received came from my parents, who lived by the principle, “to whom much is given, much is required.” They taught me through example that I am not here just to take up space—I have a responsibility to leave something behind and preferably better than I found it.. This guidance has shaped every decision in my career, from volunteering to educate communities about sickle cell disease and vaccinating homeless individuals, to championing minority representation in clinical trials, and now promoting community health workers. It’s taught me to use my opportunities and privileges to create meaningful impact and help those with less access.

My advice to young women entering this field is to buckle up and be ready for challenges—every generation faces them, even if they’re unprecedented. The key is passion: if you truly believe in your work, that fire will sustain you when it gets tough. When I first began working with community health workers, some said it couldn’t be done, but I self-funded the work because I believed in it and had experienced the effect of CHWs during a personal crisis. Look to those who came before you—like C. Everett Koop, who persevered despite resistance—and let their example guide you. With courage and passion, you can overcome obstacles, stay focused on your goals, and keep pushing forward no matter what setbacks you experience.

The biggest challenge—and opportunity—in my field right now is regaining the public trust and the dissemination of factual and accurate information to counter an entrenched disinformation campaign that is endangering the nation's health. One way to address this is to ensure that trusted community messengers, like community health workers are fully integrated into the healthcare team, and receive the recognition, support, and compensation they deserve. Through focus groups, I’ve heard disheartening tales that reflect how undervalued these trusted professionals are, despite the clear evidence of their impact and return on investment for the healthcare system. It also reveals how racism and hierarchy still affect the formation and power dynamics on the healthcare team. My goal is to continue telling their story, publishing research, providing resources to empower them, and advocating for their full inclusion and fair compensation. These individuals save countless lives every day, and highlighting their work is essential to building a stronger, more equitable healthcare system.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are service to others—especially the underserved—and the principle that “to whom much is given, much is required.” From a young age, my parents taught me that I am not here just to take up space, but to leave something meaningful behind. I also deeply value keeping my word, staying true to my commitments, and following my passions. Personal experiences—whether witnessing the stigma faced by people living with HIV or seeing how community health workers supported my son during a medical crisis—have fueled my dedication to persist, speak up, and make a lasting impact.