Anita Shubert
University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Minority Research Program in Philadelphia, PA
Anita Shubert spent the summer with the University of Pennsylvania Summer Undergraduate Minority Research Program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The program provides students with an opportunity to conduct health services research on a topic of their choice, under the guidance of Penn faculty. Anita worked with two different mentors, both of whom work in LGBTQ health research. Her first project under the direction of Dr. José Bauermeister was entitled Trust, Mistrust, and Stigma: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Young Men who Have Sex with Men (YMSM). Her second project under the direction of Dr. Dennis Flores was entitled GIST (Gender Inclusive Sexuality Talks): Facilitators and Barriers to Parent-Child Sex Communication. This internship was a phenomenal experience for Anita, in which she improved her research abilities, engaged in networking events, attended a research conference, pushed her academic writing and learned through quality mentorships. Anita shared, “Both of my research projects will inform future intervention development that will contribute to LGBTQ health equity.”
Ariel Chatman
LGBT+ in Detroit, MI
In Detroit, Michigan, through the Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP), Ariel Chatman partnered with LGBT Detroit, an organization centered around amplifying and sustaining LGBT+ culture, education, advocacy, and human rights. Designed for and by Black queer people, LGBT Detroit's resources include HIV/AIDS campaigns, community leadership programs, and Hotter than July (the second oldest Black-hosted LGBTQ+ Pride event in the world). Ariel operated as the organization’s program assistant, aiding in the production of their media content and engagement. While at the LGBT Detroit, Ariel had exciting experiences including taking part in podcasts, organizing events and learning how LGBT Detroit positively impacts the lives of those in the community. For her final project to be presented at the DCERP Showcase, Ariel filmed an interview style video of her research under the mentorship of Chris Sutton who is the Broadcasting Director at LGBT Detroit.
Joselyn Quintana
New Beginnings Birth Advocacy and Doula Services in Ann Arbor, MI
Here, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Joselyn Quintana interned for New Beginnings Birth Advocacy and Doula Services. This non-profit serves immigrant, refugee, and low-income families in Southeastern Michigan by “offering a full range of free or reduced birth, postpartum, and case management services in order to improve birth outcomes.” During her internship, Joselyn created a resource guide for Doulas in the State of Michigan to access Medicaid reimbursement. This experience led Joselyn and fellow intern, Carly Loken, to form a student organization on campus called Doulas Caring for Michigan that aims at providing students with the resources to become birth doulas and take clients to help improve parental health outcomes and achieve client birthing goals.
Julia Watt
Office of Senator Tammy Duckworth in Chicago, IL
Julia Watt merged her interest in politics with her love for the city of Chicago during her internship at the Office of Senator Tammy Duckworth. Julia quickly learned that the Senator’s office does so much that she was previously unaware of including casework for passports, visas, veterans’ assistance, housing, and more. Julia served as a first point of contact for those trying to reach the Senator and took many casework calls. She describes notable challenges she faced, “There was a significant emotional weight attached to many casework calls. I found it frustrating and guilt-inducing when there was nothing I could do regarding a constituent’s case, especially since many of them were grappling with dire situations such as impending eviction and humanitarian visa requests. It was hard to accept that I was only the first step.” Beyond the challenges, one of the gems of her internship was meeting and speaking with Senator Tammy Duckworth. Julia learned so much during her experience and now feels confident she could add value to any future political/public policy organization she may work for.
Sivan Ellman
Lilith Magazine in New York, NY
Sivan Ellman completed her internship at Lilith Magazine in New York City. She created illustrations for their print issue, online publication, and social media campaigns; preserved and digitized archives; pitched, and wrote a personal essay for their online publication; researched and picked artists to be showcased in their new issue; photographed LGBTQ, feminist events for the publication; and much more for this “Independent, Jewish & frankly feminist” magazine. Sivan shares, “As an artist, having my work published was a validating experience, and tangibly seeing how my art can be used to bring awareness, understanding, and respect to gender-marginalized communities was even more powerful.” Lilith Magazine showed Sivan the real life implications of her major and how she can use it to change the world.
Carly Loken
Knight Perinatal Advocacy Group
Carly Loken interned at Knight Perinatal Advocacy Group (KPA) in Saline, Michigan, an organization whose passion lies in “ensuring access to equitable maternity care and parenting resources for communities that are often overlooked.” She learned a lot about the nonprofit structure as well as what it meant to serve underserved populations. Carly had a wide array of responsibilities during her internship including producing social media content, delivering donations, and creating a new website for the organization. With no prior website building experience, Carly used her problem solving skills to produce a streamlined and informative platform that highlights the work KPA does. One of Carly’s favorite tasks was creating a relationship with First Congregational Church of Chelsea who have a free, and very well-stocked diaper bank. Through this relationship, she was able to collect and deliver enough diapers, feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, and other sanitary products for our 25 families to last them for a few weeks. Carly cherished connecting with the families that she worked with and learning more about their culture, religion, and experience as refugees in this country. Due to her amazing experience this past summer, she is continuing her work at KPA on a volunteer basis.
