During the summer of 2024, I had the opportunity to intern at the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD), which offered me profound insights into the essential role that health departments play in serving their communities. One of the most impactful experiences was assisting a Hispanic mother and her son on my first day. They needed to obtain death certificates but only spoke Spanish. I helped them navigate and complete the necessary documents, which later led to my task of translating these documents into Spanish. This experience underscored the critical importance of language access in healthcare and highlighted the complexities faced by non-English speakers.
Throughout the internship, I was also involved in educational outreach, including a project on harm reduction programs. My research not only revealed the misconceptions surrounding harm reduction but also deepened my understanding of its actual benefits. Contrary to some beliefs, harm reduction programs do not increase drug abuse but instead significantly improve recovery rates. This project was particularly eye-opening and underscored the importance of approaches in public health. It also reinforced my commitment to advocating for these strategies in my future career.
I am honored to have received the Luke Borenstein Award at the end of my internship. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Jill Rodgers and Dr. Wetzel for providing me with this opportunity and to the entire MCHD team for their mentorship and kindness. Special thanks also go to my fellow interns, Zachary Bielecki, Precious Ainabor, and Barret Smith, for their support and camaraderie.
Thank you all for making this internship a truly rewarding and enlightening experience. The knowledge and skills I gained, the relationships I formed, and the impact I made have all contributed to my personal and professional growth.
