Advocacy and Research Intern, March of Dimes, Office of Government Affairs

Grant Recipient: Vignatha Reddy, Class of 2011
Major: Psychology, Neuroscience
Organization: March of Dimes, Office of Government Affairs
Location: Washington, DC

Presently, I am interning for the March of Dimes, a non-profit organization devoted to the cause of healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Working in the Office of Government Affairs (OGA), much of my time is devoted to supporting the organization’s advocacy efforts though the researching of background information on topics pertaining to maternal and child health. To date, I have researched and written reports or advocacy resource documents on issues such as the effects of maternal smoking on birth outcomes, best practices in preterm birth intervention programs, and the effectiveness of point of sale health warning signs in deterring health risk behavior. I have also closely followed legislation on child (and maternal) nutrition programs, edited reports pertaining to healthcare access for pregnant women, and spearheaded a project that would enable to the organization to recruit volunteers interested in supporting its advocacy efforts into an internal database.

Overall, this has been an exciting experience that has afforded me a unique political perspective on the workings of our healthcare system. Given the recent passage of major health reform legislation, it has been an exciting time to be in DC working for an organization keenly interested in health-related issues. Having listened in to various conference calls and attended the organization’s annual public policy advisory council meeting, where I heard from legislators and directors of agencies closely involved with this topic, I have been able to learn much about the actual components of the healthcare reform bill, the changes it will bring, and the challenges in implementation ahead.

As a premedical science major used to working in research labs and in clinical settings, working in an office has been a major but refreshing change. I have learnt much about healthcare issues on a public policy and social justice perspective, which I normally would not have been exposed to in a traditional premedical trajectory.

Overall, this has been a great experience which I would strongly recommend for both those interested in politics and/or the health professions.

Dental Clinic Intern, Devi Punj Dental Clinic, India

Grant Recipient: Aditi Khatri, Class of 2011
Major: Biology and Science in Society
Organization: Devi Punj Dental Clinic
Location: Vadodara, India

Although I had been to India before, this summer’s trip to Vadodara opened my eyes to the disparities that lie beyond our borders. I shadowed a dentist at Devi Punj Dental Clinics. One clinic was located in a posh area while the other was located in an impoverished area. The facilities, treatment charges and the patients were like night and day between the two clinics.

Along with shadowing a dentist I conducted an independent research study on the health care system of India. Through the administration surveys the major players in India’s health care system and their impact on the success and failures of the system were identified. 102 volunteer patients at hospitals in the three major cities of Gujarat were surveyed. The data showed that the patients had an understanding of the differences between the cost, treatment and facilities of the hospitals and clinics in their area. Generally, the patients had a good understanding of proper hygiene and eating habits. However, the patients had a lack of understanding of the importance of dental care. 85% of the patients surveyed did not visit a dentist regularly. When asked why, half said they did not need to go and the other half said there was nothing wrong with their teeth.

The results of my survey were consistent with the severity in oral problems the patients in the Devi Punj Clinics had. Patients of all ages had rotting teeth and needed immediate root canal therapy or extraction. People only visited the dentist when they were in pain. If the patients had made regular visits to the dentist, they may not have had such severe problems. After seeing this, I felt it was important for me to educate the youth of the area. I visited a private K-12 school in the city of Vadodara, India. There I educated the students on the importance of proper oral hygiene and visiting the dentist regularly.

Overall, I feel I had a well rounded experience in India. I enjoyed my time there and I got more out of the experience than I had expected. At the end of my eight weeks there I didn’t want to leave.

About the photo: shows the contrast between a private hospital (top) and a public hospital (bottom). These pictures were taken while I was visiting hospitals to survey patients.

Intern and Interpreter, Human Rights First, Refugee Protection Program

Grant Recipient: Elana Metsch-Ampel, Class of 2012
Major: Spanish and Psychology
Organization: Human Rights First, Refugee Protection Program
Location: New York, NY

“Can you help me? You help so many people here.” The question goes through my head in rapid Spanish with a thick Peruvian accent, and I quickly convert the words into English before repeating the sentiment to my boss, Lori, who is sitting across from me at a small round table in a tight conference room. We are conducting an intake interview with an asylum seeker; I am the interpreter. My boss responds in English that we’re trying; that we do our best, and by the time Lori’s words hit the client’s ears in Spanish, a look of relief comes over their face. I am an intern and interpreter in the Refugee Protection Program (RPP) at Human Rights First (HRF), a non-profit organization located just outside of Chelsea in Manhattan. RPP serves as the middleman between clients who are seeking asylum and lawyers working in powerful law firms throughout NYC who take the cases on pro bono. We interview clients, determine if we can accept their case, assemble a case packet, and then farm the cases out to lawyers throughout the city. Our on-staff attorneys, Lori and Anwen, are available to offer legal advice and guidance, as well as insight on the many advocacy campaigns taking place within the program, many of whose efforts are based on the personal stories of clients we represent. My summer long task is to conduct “Case Status Update” (CSU), a project which undertakes updating all of RPP’s open cases. The project is complex and tedious, but it is incredibly satisfying to learn of client’s progress. I also serve as an interpreter which is by far the most rewarding and challenging part of my summer experience. I know that I am the only chance the Spanish-speaker has to convey their life story in the hopes of receiving help. I am not a native speaker, and there are times when I inadvertently answer my English-speaking boss in Spanish, and a client in English. Luckily for me, my bosses are patient. Another one of my tasks is to write the intake summary, which includes a narrative of the asylum seeker’s story, a detailed procedural posture explaining how the potential client came to the U.S., a credibility assessment, and an explanation of fear of return. It also includes detailed footnotes explaining country conditions on the client’s country of origin, to assist their lawyers in preparing their argument. This summer I have been challenged to my fullest; my Spanish listening and speaking skills, writing and organizational skills are improving everyday. The people I have met at HRF are smart and patient, savvy and instructive. They work hard to ensure that people have a lifeline in America, and I am proud to be a part of their team. I chose to apply to this internship because of my passion for social justice work, and my empathy for the plight of immigrants. I also wanted an opportunity to utilize my Spanish everyday. I can’t believe how lucky I have gotten. I am never sitting idle, and I have gotten to work as a translator, which has taught me how interested I am in the field of interpretation as a possible career. I am absolutely loving my experience at this organization, and although we’re in the middle of a big, slightly stressful CSU push, I am proud to be able to honestly respond to clients and people who ask me about my summer experience that by saying that yes, we do help many people here.

Independent Project: Pilgrimage through Camino De Santiago

Grant Recipient: Class of 2012
Major: Philosophy
Organization: Independent Project: Pilgrimage through Camino De Santiago
Location: Pamplona, Spain-Santiago De Compostela

I have been spending this summer walking and documenting the Camino de Santiago, a seven hundred kilometer medieval pilgrimage route that dates back over a thousand years. While years ago the Camino was a strictly Christian pilgrimage, today individuals of different religious sects from all over the world come to spend over a month of their lives walking across Northern Spain. The Wesleyan Summer Experience Grant has allowed me to spend time walking and talking with these international pilgrims. As I intend to write my senior thesis about the religious and philosophical motivations behind pilgrimages, the Camino has afforded me an invaluable opportunity to discuss with dozens of pilgrims their personal catalyst for embarking on their religious journey. In addition, I have been able to spend time developing my interest in photography by taking individual portraits of pilgrims, and hopefully, with the help of my project advisor, turn the photographs into an exhibition. Thanks to the Wesleyan Experience Grant, this has been the most educational and exciting summer of my life.

Development and Production Intern, Focus Features

Grant Recipient: Rebecca Choi, Class of 2011
Major: Film Studies and Music
Organization: Focus Features
Location: Los Angeles, CA

This summer I have been taking a class on global cinema at UCLA as well as interning in the Production and Development department of Focus Features. The class has been really eye-opening because the UCLA department has a completely different approach to teaching film, and it has both encouraged me to broaden the way I think about cinema and made me appreciate Wesleyan's program that much more. Working at Focus Features has also been a valuable and really fun learning experience. First of all, Focus is an incredible work environment, because everyone there is so open to answering questions, considering the interns' opinions about upcoming projects, and giving guidance for career development in the film industry. I work directly under two major executives – Samantha Pickett, the Director of Production Development, and Mike Pruss, a Creative Executive – both of whom have been great mentors. My responsibilities include general intern duties like answering phones and making copies, but I also get to read a ton of scripts and see raw footage of upcoming movies. The quality of the materials I get to read at Focus is pretty amazing, and it will be so exciting to watch these films when they actually come out in theaters! In my spare time I have been trying to explore different areas of Los Angeles, and have visited Santa Monica, Venice, and Downtown LA. So far this has been an incredible summer and I am excited to bring these experiences with me when I return to Wesleyan in the fall.