Farewell Spring 2012 Interns

It's that time of year again; time to say farewell to our spring interns!

Jennifer Chang and YuTing Chen were both seniors, joining us from the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Their time as interns at AAHI was mutually beneficial for them and for AAHI. As public health students, they gained valuable exposure to the workings of a local health department. In turn, they were a great asset to AAHI's work in preparing and participating in outreach activities, researching and presenting on the Affordable Care Act, and supporting various projects such as the ECHO workshop and Japanese health fair.

As a final farewell activity, Jennifer and YuTing sat down for a short interview reflecting on their experience at AAHI.

When asked what they enjoyed most about the internship, Jennifer and YuTing both agreed it was the outreach events. Jennifer enjoyed interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures. YuTing was particularly excited about using her Mandarin language skills to help community members who are limited English proficient.

When asked what skills they developed through the internship program, Jennifer noted an improvement in her communication skills, especially in the area of outreach. Initially, she was timid about approaching people at events but her communication skills and confidence grew through the many events she attended. YuTing said she developed better professional skills, learning how to communicate with colleagues and work in an office setting.  

And finally, their words of advice for future AAHI interns. From YuTing: There are lots of tasks so it's important to be organized. Use the project ticket spreadsheet to help prioritize and keep track of all the projects. From Jennifer: Stay organized and manage your time well, especially since other staff are depending on you.

Jennifer and YuTing, we appreciate all of your hard work and wish you all the best!