Past DPCS Interns

Ugochi will be interning at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, as a Patient Care Volunteer. As a volunteer she will dedicate her time to making the day-to-day activities of the patients more pleasant. These tasks will include greeting patients and visitors at the Patient Care Unit, cutting food for patients during meal times, assisting patients with self-maintenance, and helping patients run errands, in addition to other responsibilities. Inspired by her dream of becoming a doctor and opening a health clinic in her home town of Aba, Nigeria, Ugochi has developed a wonderful perspective on the role of the doctor in the doctor-patient relationship. Troubled by the societal stigmas associated with patients who are ill, and saddened that western medicine often treats the disease and not the patient, she would like to “work each day to bring warmth, joy, and companionship to patients.” She views this internship as an important part in her education to becoming a doctor.

Gilbert, or Gil as he prefers, will be heading to Bozeman, Montana to volunteer at the Red Feather Development Group as a community liaison; its mission “is to advocate for the development issues on American Indian reservations, namely in the form of private home ownership.” He will spend his first 2 months preparing for the construction of a stucco and straw-bale home that will take place during his 3rd and final month on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Native American communities face many barriers imposed by both the Federal and Native governments when individuals try to build homes utilizing private/non-governmental lenders- the result is a massive shortage in housing for these communities. Gil brings a unique skill set to this project as Red Feather will be building the home in his community. As a leader within his community, “[Gil] can help the organization tremendously with its goals of linking these communities and creating networks and bridges.”

Kaite is excited by the opportunity to address some of the issues that surround the “Dartmouth Bubble” by volunteering at the Haven where she will be tutoring in the after-school programs, providing childcare, partaking in the women’s group, and working with the development projects. The Haven additionally provides unique support for families by housing them for up to 3 months and providing an array of services. When families leave, 75% of them find permanent housing because of the special care and empowerment the Haven is able to provide. Kaite hopes to incorporate her interests in visual arts, literature and music into her work by providing “opportunities for children and adults to discover more of their talents and express themselves through creativity.” Kaite hopes this experience will be beneficial to her as she pursues a career in public health.

After spending the 2007 summer term taking classes, CJ, who is expecting to graduate in June of 2008, will spend his deferred off-term at InMotion, not-for-profit organization in New York City that provides legal and social services for low-income women, particularly women suffering from domestic violence. InMotion mobilizes thousands of volunteers to address the issues low-income women and their children face when they are not able to afford legal services. CJ will make his commute to the Bronx where he will use his Spanish and legal experience to assist the lawyers by “taking live intakes, running a walk-in legal clinic and undertaking a translation project.” He will have extensive interaction with those seeking assistance as he will be responsible for their initial intake into the organization as well as in providing the services to the women. CJ is interested in the internship because he “can apply [his] language and leadership skills in a legal setting while providing a direct service to the community.” The internship should be a mutually beneficial one, as CJ will be providing a range of skills to an organization that fills an important community need, while advancing his Spanish and pursuit of a law degree.

Jordana is excited to return to her hometown of Atlanta in order to intern at AID Atlanta, one of the largest HIV/AIDS service organizations in the country. AID Atlanta’s mission is to “provide a broad and compassionate range of HIV and AIDS services, prevention and education.” As an intern, Jordana will be assisting in the testing, treatment, and counseling of the clients as well as going out into the community to conduct testing events at public venues, such as nightclubs and shopping malls. Jordana previously worked part time at the clinic during the Spring of 2007 and hopes that her previous internship with the organization along with her experience serving as an EMT on an ambulance and pre-medicine course work, will assist her in this challenging task. With aspirations of becoming a physician herself, she hopes that this internship will help her with communicating and interacting professionally with patients, particularly when faced with potentially life-threatening diagnoses.

In returning to his hometown of Philadelphia, David will help provide housing and employment for the individuals that the Bethesda Project serves. The Bethesda Project aims to assist Philadelphia’s homeless by “establishing environments where homeless people can have their needs resolved by a community of compassionate and hard-working people.” Working in collaboration with a veteran staff member, David will work closely with community members to ensure that the needs of the homeless are met, including providing meals, teaching basic computer skills, assisting with job searches, transporting clients to doctors’ appointments, among other responsibilities. David is extremely excited about being able to work so closely with the clients and address a problem that he has witnessed since he was a child. David says, “I plan to devote my thirty-five to forty hours of volunteer work each week to making a difference in the lives of others through both physical and emotional support.”

For her DPCS Internship this winter, Amelia will be working at the Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center, a Berkeley community center that focuses on providing support services for homeless women and children. Amelia’s work will include helping to provide free breakfasts and lunches, transportation assistance to appointments, parental support, housing placement and references, HIV education and prevention, and chemical dependency groups and counseling. Due to the small size of the center, Amelia will be involved in working in all areas of the clinic and is looking forward to “help them on the road to sustaining self-dependency.” This internship also has great personal resonance for Amelia due to the similarities it shares with the DPCS Internship of her dear friend Meleia Willis-Starbuck, who had been performing similar work in Berkeley at the time of her passing. Amelia is eager to begin her service experience and as she says, “my time, energy, and heart will be devoted to this cause and I honestly cannot wait to start.”

For her DPCS Internship this winter, Rashmi will be returning to her hometown area of Washington, DC to address the needs of low-income families at the Mary House. The Mary House provides transitional housing, after school programs, food aid ,and other forms of support for up to thirty families, ranging from single mothers and grandparents to whole families in crisis. Rashmi’s work will also extend beyond these thirty families, as she will also be working with the Mary House’s after school and food aid program that provide aid for hundreds of local families. In her work with the after school program, Rashmi is planning on introducing science projects and miniature programs on media and economic literacy to make her time spent with the kids fun and educational. Committed to helping others, Rashmi envisions a future of service, and hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders and “appreciates the chance that [she’ll] get during my off-term to devote myself to service.”

This winter Michael will be working at the Volunteers of America & National Affordable Housing Trust on a project that allows him to work in both Alexandria, VA and Milford, DE. While in Alexandria, VA, Michael will be working at a homeless shelter working in the management services, education, training and mental health divisions, his time spent in Milford, DE will allow him to work on the planning stages for a new low-income housing complex that is being built within the next couple of months. In anticipation of this new housing center, Michael will be gathering information from future inhabitants to find out what types of services they want and need. Working directly with the Milford community, Michael’s community organizing work will help him fulfill his goal of better helping “individuals with much hardship” by meeting community needs.

For her DPCS Internship this winter, Concetta will be returning to hometown of Robeson County, North Carolina to work at the Indian Education Resource Center to work with local teenagers. The work of the Indian Education Resource Center aims to have the Native American Students of Robeson County realize their great potential. Concetta will be working to tutor and mentor these students, and through her motivation she hopes that these students will find the wherewithal to stay in school and pursue higher education. As a member of the community, Concetta hopes that these students can look to her as an example of all the available possibilities for them. As Concetta says, “It will make them see that it doesn’t matter if their parents didn’t finish school, or if they don’t have a lot of money, or if people expect them to fail. It only matters if they believe that they can accomplish goals they set for themselves.”

This winter Heather will be moving to San Francisco, CA to work at the Tenderloin Childcare Center, a non-profit organization that provides aid to homeless children and rehabilitation services. Within the Tenderloin Childcare Center, Heather hopes to work in the younger childcare division with children under the age of five, and work with the children on a specialized early education curriculum that focuses on art, music, science and nature, pre-reading and pre-math and hones motor skills through play. As her internship progresses, Heather hopes that she will become comfortable and confident enough with the children to eventually plan her own education programs with them and plan activities. The goal of all of these creative enrichment programs is to create a safe and supportive environment that leads children to understand the role of a better education later in life, and will “hopefully in turn carry them out of the disheartening cycle of poverty.” This internship perfectly complements Heather’s education studies, along with her past service work which includes involvement in mentoring programs such as Sister to Sister, SEAD, and DREAM.

For her DPCS Internship this winter, Christine will be working at the Sanctuary for Families on the Immigration Intervention Project in New York. As immigration requirements in this country continually change, Christine will be working on a massive project that will aid in ensuring the security and placement of current immigrants. Christine will be working in the Legal Services department, and her project helps battered immigrant women get citizenship and benefits and aid in their application for asylum. For women facing deportation, Christine’s help will be invaluable for ensuring that they can find proper places for habitation. As Christine explains, “immigrant women are some of the most economically disadvantaged people being served at Sanctuary and my part would be to make sure that they do not suffer for their status and to provide education about what they need to do to stay here.”

Tara will be returning to her hometown of Memphis, TN this winter to perform her DPCS Internship at Memphis Area Legal Services. Memphis Area Legal Services is a non-profit legal firm that is committed to achieving social justice for all people, helping children, families and individuals to address legal problems that affect their basic needs. In her internship, Tara will be assisting the attorneys in providing legal services to those citizens in need of aid. More specifically, Tara will be working on outreach and she will organize clinics to inform and attract potential clients and attract those who would benefit from the work of Memphis Area Legal Services. In her work, Tara hopes to “be assisting those who really make a difference in people’s in the lives of people need of legal services but cannot pay for so.”

Mohammad will spend the fall term working with Right Turn, an organization that provides rehabilitation services and support for individuals who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction and psychiatric issues. Mohammad will work with patients directly by organizing and even facilitating the weekly discussion sections held for patients. Right Turn is primarily targeted towards musicians, artists, and entertainers and as a result they host free community concerts, which have a suggested donation. Mohammad will also help to coordinate these concerts. Mohammad has a long history of community service stemming from his time in high school. In high school, Mohammad founded an organization aimed at helping troubled male minority youth graduate high school, receive admission to college, or obtain employment. At Dartmouth, Mohammad had the opportunity to go to New Orleans via a service trip in which he learned “that the people of New Orleans are truly strong and perseverant… [and] the importance of being positive and having faith even in the most difficult of situations.” These lessons will be especially useful in helping recovering addicts, in which a positive attitude and strong will are essential to combating their problem. Mohammad hopes “having the chance to interact with adults with addiction and psychiatric issues will increase [his] understanding of how to help people best.”

Kris’s internship with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation will involve helping the foundation implement a variety of client-based programs such as needle exchange, an AIDS hotline, and housing and healthcare services in addition to public policy and outreach programs. Kris’s background as a government major and his experience in organizing local and state politics will be a valued asset to the foundation in terms of its public policy and outreach programs. Kris has a demonstrated interest in both the GLBT community and the AIDS pandemic. He hopes his time in San Francisco, which has a significant GLBT population will enhance his understanding of the issues the GLBT population faces. Kris also traveled to Kenya last year where he witnessed firsthand the problems facing those with AIDS today. Kris’ diverse experience will no doubt be invaluable for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In the future, Kris hopes to be a part of a liberal think tank and obtain a graduate degree in political science or sociology. He aims to continue his advocacy work and focus on health care, the prison system and penal code, and issues surrounding welfare. Kris understands that “because HIV strikes at society’s most vulnerable and most ostracized, treatment and prevention must involve much more than medical services, as is recognized by the SF AIDS Foundation” and he will work to combat HIV/AIDS by working to create structural changes.

Rosie’s Place, which is considered a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, will welcome Meghan in the fall. Meghan will be working in the public relations office, planning fundraising events and benefits. One of her main projects will be to help coordinate the organization’s largest fundraiser, a luncheon titled “Funny Women.” Meghan will also serve the women of Rosie’s Place by serving food to the guests and their children teaching ESL classes to women, and working in the advocacy department with social workers, counselors, and lawyers. As a Sociology major, Meghan has focused on inequality issues and healthcare, which will help her to better understand the women she will be serving. Meghan will also be a great addition to Rosie’s Place because of her experience mentoring a ten year old girl at the Thetford Elementary School, where she learned the importance of positive influences on the lives of young children. Meghan aims to pursue a career with a non profit organization and believes her internship with Rosie’s Place will help her to determine the exact area in which she would be best suited to work everyday. Meghan hopes that her experience “shows others the importance of such organizations and the need to support them and their causes.”

In the fall, Lucy will be immersing herself in all aspects of the Women’s Center, which is dedicated to giving support to women and their children who have suffered domestic violence, abuse, or sexual assault. Specifically, she will be assisting with services such as the sister house shelter, managing the hotline, providing childcare, and giving family support lessons. Lucy brings both medical and personal experience to her internship with the Women’s Center. In addition to a number of hours logged researching in the laboratory, she served as an Inpatient psychiatric ward volunteer providing company and support to patients. Lucy has also worked with recovering alcoholics as a part of the Koop Internship and tutored pregnant teenage girls or teenage mothers to help them earn GEDs or high school diplomas. Lucy also had the opportunity to spend part of her spring break on a Katrina Trip to New Orleans. Through all of her experiences, Lucy has learned the importance of finding personal connections with those she serves and truly reaching out in an attempt to understand them. The women at the Women’s Center will be sure to appreciate Lucy’s experience in serving others. While Lucy expects her internship to be challenging, as a future doctor, she feels “that as someone who aspires to be a doctor and as a human being, [she] need[s] to familiarize [herself] with the wreckage that abuse and neglect can cause.” Lucy also intends to continue her service to women in the long run by searching for a similar place in the Hanover area to volunteer her time and eventually attend medical school.

During the Fall, Daniela will join The Global Workers Justice Alliance as an intern and help transnational migrants in the New York City area. Daniela will work closely with the founders of the organization to interview migrant workers and learn more about their cases. She will also have the opportunity to put her Romance Languages major to use by communicating with migrant workers in Spanish. Daniela identifies herself as a great communicator, and she feels that many of the problems faced by migrants stem from communication problems. Daniela is also interested in one day obtaining a masters degree in public policy and hopes to take away valuable information in working with advocacy organizations. In addition, she aims to work in underdeveloped countries and believes her interaction with migrant workers will give her experience with working with NGOs. Through her experience with DREAM, Daniela has learned to “listen and be more mature through helping [her] mentee.” Daniela will definitely be able to use these interpersonal skills when she interacts with migrant workers.

Katherine will stay in NH this fall to work with the Girls Inc. of NH. She will be volunteering in their after school program to run a media literacy project for girls ages 6-12+. She will work as part of the after school staff to organize general activities and programming. As part of her media literacy project she will spend the mornings organizing and preparing materials for her project and then spend the rest of the day presenting material and discussing it with the girls. She will be able to work with a specific group of girls in her time there to really influence how they perceive the media. Katherine brings both local experience as a native of NH and experience working with the Big Brother/Big Sisters program. As a Big Sister, she learned to be a better listener and a good friend. Katherine also worked at the Southern New Hampshire Internal Medicine Association, where she picked up many organizational and interpersonal skills. Both of these skills will be very important in planning and implementing her Media Literacy project. In the past, Katherine has felt as if she did not get enough time to interact with people directly when she volunteering and she “would like to have an internship experience where [she] can see how her work is immediately beneficial for other people and for the community.” With regard to her media literacy project in particular, she hopes “that the project will help to foster self-confidence and self-value through a greater control over media influence.” Katherine would like to continue her service, and is exploring options in medicine and science.

Marissa will be working at the Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY in the Surgery Department. She will work with children who have undergone or will undergo surgery. Much of her time will be spent interacting with patients and their families to gain a better understanding of what they are going through and how they feel about the care they are receiving. Marissa served as a Surgical volunteer at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where she gained much experience in patient interaction. By seeing how doctors interacted with patients and their families, Marissa learned “how critical it is to be honest but sensitive when delivering news about the status of the operation, and also how devastating it can be when information is relayed tactlessly.” Marissa also has experience working with children as a part of the America Reads program at Dartmouth. Marissa hopes to “find new ways to improve or enhance patient/family-physician interaction in settings that can be anxious and overwhelming.” Marissa is a very driven individual and hopes to achieve both a masters degree in biology and a degree in medicine after her time at Dartmouth.

During the Fall, Julia will join the Montefiore Comprehensive Health Care Center as an intern. She will coordinate the "Fun & Fit" program and teach nutrition and exercise classes every week. She will also have the opportunity to put her Spanish Language, Culture, and Society major to use by assisting with a project to determine the capability of pharmacies to translate prescriptions into Spanish in the South Bronx. Julia is very interested in Spanish culture and she attended the FSP program in Madrid. In addition, she has been an active member of La Casa where she has learned tremendously about Spanish and Latino cultures. Julia is also extremely interested in public health and gained experience in the field last summer as an intern at the Department of Health in New York City. At the Department of Health Julia realized how "large health disparities are among certain groups of people throughout the city and believes that health education can definitely lessen these differences." Julia believes that an internship at the Montefiore Comprehensive Health Center will solidify her existing Spanish skills while allowing her to understand the importance of community healthcare development. Julia aims to join the Peace Corps after graduating and eventually pursue a career in public health.