Josie Abrials worked as a research assistant for the GenderWise Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. There, she supported project development and outreach for the PLUS Study, a mixed-methods study of stigma and health among plurisexual (bi+) adolescents and young adults, including screening participants, contacting national LGBTQ+ organizations, facilitating youth focus groups over Discourse, and creating the first version of the qualitative codebook. She’s also received mentorship from other researchers in her fields of interest. She says, “This internship represents an important step in my development as both a researcher and an advocate for LGBTQ+ youth.”
Addison McLane traveled to Peru with Project MESA to test a new portable gynecological exam table. The new table was shared throughout health posts in the Chiclayo Province, and Addison had the opportunity to survey patients and healthcare providers for feedback on the table and how it can be improved. She remarks on the importance of understanding lived experiences, “Through this community experience, I was able to deeper understand the barriers most women face to receiving care.”
Allana Smith worked with the Michigan Innocence Clinic investigating wrongful conviction cases. She worked alongside lawyers and law students to address social class and inequality issues in the carceral system at large. Allana read letters from wrongfully convicted clients and saw firsthand the workings of the legal system. She says, “This internship told me to fight hard, that I can do it if no one else will, and I’ll bring it with me to law school and beyond.”
Hailey Grabowski worked on the Social Action Research team and presented original research at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues’ annual conference in New Orleans. Hailey researched how “post-abortion syndrome is used to promote stigmatizing narratives about abortion in scientific literature,” and she hopes to illuminate the stigma created by previous psychological research. She says, “Overall, this conference experience made available to me by the Herman Family Scholarship proved invaluable in so many areas.”
She adds, “As I move forward in my journey, I will carry so many of these lessons and connections with me and allow them to guide me as I approach new challenges.”
Lydia Hoyt spent the summer as a doula and intern for Wrapped in Love, an organization focused on providing perinatal care and education, community resources, and breastfeeding support to families in Southeast Michigan. She learned to write grant applications, practiced community outreach, and gained experience as a birth and postpartum doula, also supporting families through the University of Michigan's Dial-a-Doula program. She says, “I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn from birth workers who have so much to teach about what it means to be in community.”
Thanks to generous funding from the Herman Family Foundation, the Women’s and Gender Studies Department runs an internship initiative for undergraduate students. This summer, five awardees did great work in their communities. We're highlighting their experiences and we commend their work.
To find out more about the internship initiative, read the Herman Family Internship Initiative page on our website. There, you can read many other previous recipient highlights.
Applications for projects taking place next summer will open during the Winter semester.
