Meet our Staff: Thank you to our summer interns!

August 29, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)

This summer, Health & Medicine was fortunate to have four interns–(from left to right) Julia Morrison, Jared Cruz, Courtney Severin, and Grace Lee–supporting our work across a range of project areas from our Schweitzer Fellowship to Chicago AHEC and our ACEs programming. Thanks to all our interns for their great work!

Jared Cruz is a high school student at George Westinghouse College Prep and a part of their CTE Medical Academy. She interned with Chicago AHEC through the One Summer Chicago Program.

What interested you in interning at Health & Medicine?
As someone who is interested in pursuing a career in health administration, I looked forward to interning at Health & Medicine because it focuses on health policy and promoting improvement in healthcare and would provide me with an opportunity to learn about the professions within this field. I am currently working on creating an operations manual for the IL AHEC team and composing descriptions for the Chicago AHEC general resources websites.

What sort of things do you like to do outside of school?

Outside of school I enjoy playing sports, such as badminton and tennis, and finding new music to listen to. I also enjoy exploring downtown with my siblings and swimming at the lake.

Any other exciting summer plans?

This summer I plan attending the summer festivals and concerts and volunteering at local centers for service learning hours.

Eunhye “Grace” Lee is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago in Medical Sociology. She provided support to our Chicago AHEC and Center for Public Health Equity the summer.

What interested you in interning at Health & Medicine?
I’m interested in health equity, social determinants of health, and quality of life. I found that Health & Medicine does a lot of awesome works that improve social and health equity, so I applied for an internship last year.

What are you looking forward to learning this summer? Is there any specific project you are working on?
I am looking forward to learning more health equity in Chicago and Illinois. Throughout my projects here, I realized that social injustice and racial injustice play a pivotal role in people’s health, in particular mental health. I really hope to address social problems and advocate for improved justice in the health care system. I am currently working on a data project for AHEC.

What sort of things do you like to do outside of school?
I love to travel, read a book, and watch interesting movies. Sometimes, I just stay at home and chill out during the weekend.

Any other exciting summer plans?

I plan to go back to my country, South Korea to see my parents and friends. I miss them a lot!

Julia Morrison is a rising junior at Tulane University majoring in Public Health and minoring in Management. She assisted with a range of projects this summer, in particular helping with our annual Schweitzer Program evaluation.

What interested you in interning at Health & Medicine?

As a Public Health major, I am very interested in healthcare policy, management, and administration. I was looking for an internship that would allow me to gain hands-on experience in this field.

What are you looking forward to learning this summer? Is there any specific project you are working on?

My biggest accomplishment this summer is that I am writing my own policy brief about City-County health department mergers. I conducted qualitative interviews and have been analyzing the available literature to make a policy recommendation for the City of Chicago. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to apply my skills from the classroom to the real world!

What sort of things do you like to do outside of school?

Outside of school I like to do yoga, cook, and spend time with my friends and family.

Any other exciting summer plans?
Later this summer I am heading to Copenhagen for a study abroad program. I will be studying the healthcare system in Denmark and learning about Public Health from a European perspective. I am so excited!

Courtney Severin is currently a medical student at Rush Medical College in Chicago. This summer she supported the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative conducting an environmental scan of strategies area hospitals are employing to become trauma-informed.

What interested you in interning at Health & Medicine?
While serving as a corps member with City Year, I mentored and tutored many students that had experienced ACEs themselves. Now as I am embarking on a career in healthcare, I want to equip myself with the knowledge of how I can have a positive impact on the health of my future patients through a health policy lens.

What are you looking forward to learning this summer?
I am excited to learn from all of the wonderful individuals in this office that are amazing powers of change. I am specifically working on a project that will be highlighting the journey that is being undertaken by the Hospital Collaborative to become trauma-informed institutions.

What sort of things do you like to do outside of school?
Outside of school? I don’t think a life outside of school exists for me anymore. Kidding, kidding. I am a huge proponent for self-care. I like to go to music shows, run outside, read in my hammock, and a year ago I picked up embroidering as a hobby!

Any other exciting summer plans?
Rest and relaxation is exciting enough for me! Although, I am hoping to plan a trip out to Utah to go hiking with a friend!

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Meet our Staff: Thank you to our summer interns!