Intern Experiences at JSI

Following are brief reflections by recent JSI interns about their experiences working at JSI.

2010

Sara Anziani, JSI Communications Intern
Jane Carper, JSI Communications Intern
Anna Stout, JSI International Division Intern/Monrovia

2009

Lanre Akintujoye, JSI International Division Intern/DC
Francis Kiweewa, JSI International Division Intern/DC
Christina Lagos, JSI International Division Intern
Amy McDonough, JSI International Division Intern/DC
Julia Rodgers, Communications Intern
Kate Russell, JSI International Division Intern/Ethiopia
Haley Schwartz, JSI Health Services Division Intern

2008

Scilla Bennett, JSI International Division Intern
Eileen Ing, JSI Health Services Division Intern
Sapana Pradhan, JSI International Division Intern
Sarah Sitts, JSI International Division Intern
Nkemjika Ugonabo, JSI International Division Intern

2007

Evelyn Abayaah, JSI/World Education Intern
Diana Colon, JSI Health Services Division Intern
Marco Steinsieck, JSI International Division Intern

2005

Lauren Alexanderson, JSI Communications Intern
Marie Lippeveld, U.S. Health Services Division Intern
Emily Miller, JSI/World Education PR/Development Intern
Abanish Rizal, JSI International Division Intern

Sara Anziani
JSI Communications Intern
Spring 2010

I began my internship as an aspiring journalist and graduate school applicant who wanted to bring her knowledge of health and environmental issues to a global scale. Familiar with JSI through its work in my hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts, I pursued an internship there because I knew that JSI focused on health and environment on both the local and global levels.

Over the course of my 3-month internship, I worked on a wide range of projects and was given responsibilities beyond (from what I hear from friends who have interned elsewhere) the level of a typical intern. By the end of my first day I was pulling together content for a 2010 International Women's Day web feature (now on the home page). My second week, I interviewed an overseas guest from the Bantwana Initiative. As the semester went on, I wrote various synopses for publications and news features, helped edit publications, and wrote a press release for the Proteccion en Construccion, a project in Lawrence (my town!). My final project was to write content for a developing website for a project in Ethiopia which focuses on improving rural health in that country.

In addition to gaining the knowledge I sought, I solidified my interest in pursuing a career in public health and/or the environment. I also realized that I can simultaneously improve my oral, written, and rhetorical skills. Interning at JSI was a perfect way to end my college career and to help me make the transition from full-time student to working professional.

Jane Carper
JSI Communications Intern
Summer 2010

I thought that I knew what to expect when I first came to intern with JSI's Communications Team this summer—photo and document uploading, minor editing, a staff profile, and getting a feel of how a major public health consulting organization can utilize social media. I was prepared to give my best effort to whatever project—no matter how small—was thrown in my direction. I soon found that my internship would involve much more than that, and I was thrilled.

Within the first week I was writing YouTube descriptions for The Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project's local TV spots and coordinating JSI's entry for the Boston Globe's Top Places to Work 2010 report. A couple of weeks later I wrote a comprehensive summary of the West Bank and Gaza Hanan Mother, Child Health and Nutrition project's marketing strategies and success. By the end of my internship, I was compiling information to update maternal and child health corporate capabilities. And with each day I learned more about JSI's efforts to improve public health around the world.

The great thing about working in communications is giving colleagues' work the recognition it deserves by sharing it with the rest of the company and the public. It was truly inspiring to spend my days with people who have dedicated their careers to improving public health. I now have skills in communications and public health, experience working at a consulting company, and can promote important work in my own words. I was lucky to be surrounded by motivated people, many of whom told me compelling stories of their lives and careers. Working at JSI has helped me define my passion for women's rights, reproductive health, and social justice. What I learned will guide me into the future.

Anna Stout
JSI International Division Intern/Monrovia
2010

I interned with JSI in Monrovia, Liberia during my last semester of graduate study at Boston College, where I earned my MSW in macro/global practice. I've always been passionate about women's reproductive health, and this internship provided me the opportunity to focus on it in an international development and post-conflict context.

Liberia is rebuilding itself after a 14-year civil war that ended in 2003. The country is working to lower its staggering high maternal mortality and fertility rates, and to increase the use of family planning by improving quality and access to reproductive health services. During my four-month internship, I worked on two JSI projects: Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS) and the Astarte Project. RBHS is a five-year program to support Liberia's National Health Policy and Plan by in increasing access to basic health services and strengthening the decentralized management of the health system. Under the tutelage of the reproductive health and family planning advisor, I worked on community-based reproductive health projects, key national policy and strategy documents, and health workforce trainings. I also evaluated family planning services at health facilities in rural areas.

The Astarte Project provides small grants and technical assistance to local NGOs to provide or enhance reproductive health services in crisis-affected areas. At Astarte, I connected with leaders of Astarte's NGO partners and provided assistance on funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation plans, resources for project planning, and facilitated links with other NGOs and reproductive health networks.

My internship experience with JSI in Liberia exposed me to the world of international public health and gave me hands-on reproductive health experience on multiple levels. I was able to indulge my passion for women's health in the developing world while enhancing my professional capacity and cultural competence.

Lanre Akintujoye
JSI International Division Intern/DC
Summer 2009

This summer, I worked with JSI staff on the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) project to improve the coordination of the supply chain management of Nigeria's laboratory supplies.

As part of my internship, I made a trip to Abuja, Nigeria's capital city, to help the local JSI team conduct an inventory of the lab equipment used to test for HIV and TB. I then developed a Nigeria-specific database to store information about lab supplies.

I was greatly impressed by the determination with which all JSI staff approached their work. Although JSI hasn't been in Nigeria for very long, it has initiated many programs which increase the Nigerian Ministry of Health's capacity to address HIV and AIDS. JSI's various initiatives and services have helped fulfill USAID's goal of reducing HIV and TB in Nigeria.

Working with JSI served as an excellent learning opportunity that allowed me to apply the competencies that I gained from my coursework at the Yale School of Public Health to strengthening Nigeria's healthcare system. I am proud that I contributed to JSI's effort in this area.

Francis Kiweewa
JSI International Division Intern/DC
Summer 2009

When I came to JSI to begin a two-month internship, I had some field experience from my years of work in Uganda. However, what I was coming to do at JSI was new to me so although I had some general ideas about the work, I was nervous. I am a clinician and I became interested in public health and health systems after realizing that what I did as a clinician would amount to nothing without strong systems and institutions to facilitate the promotion and practice of a population's health. JSI, a leader in systems strengthening, was the ideal place. I was ready to learn and compare experiences with some of the best brains in the field.

After my orientation, I knew this was going to be an exciting learning period and I was not disappointed. My primary assignment was to conduct an online forum about the integration of health information systems, which was a subject of my thesis at Harvard's School of Public Health. I was also exposed to the working of the Health Metrics Network, a global initiative to improve national health information system performance.

The fact that I was asked to participate in the identification and write-up of case studies to be used for shaping the direction of this global initiative was gratifying in its own right. I was also excited when I was asked to lead a brown bag discussion on the integration of health information systems, that, judging from the comments I got, was well-received.

My internship expectations were met in more ways than I had initially imagined. Interns are given independence, which leads to innovation. Yet there is also a culture of learning at JSI, and an environment that encourages interaction with everyone. The helpful, flexible, and warm people at JSI's Washington office make JSI possibly the best place to have an internship.

I left JSI with a more critical and creative mind, which will help me in my everyday work as a public health practitioner. I also left with friends and partners I can call for counsel or partnership in future global health work, especially in health information systems.

Christina Lagos
JSI International Division Intern
Summer 2009

As a public health graduate student focused on global health issues, I was in search of a summer internship that would allow me to integrate coursework with research and field work in a developing country. I had the pleasure of working with the JSI team in Nepal on MINI (Morang Innovative Neonatal Intervention), a five-year program that addresses the persistent high neonatal mortality in Nepal.

My primary task was to write a research publication with MINI's project director on the impact of neonatal infection management on low birth weight infants in MINI's cohort. I worked closely with the monitoring & evaluation team to complete the data analysis for the publication and was also involved with analyses on other aspects of the intervention for process documentation and research publications. I learned a tremendous amount from the team in Nepal.

As part of my role in writing the case study, I was able to make visits to the field sites in MINI's district and speak with female community health volunteers who are trained to diagnose and treat pneumonia, diarrhea, and other childhood illnesses in Nepal. The resilient spirit and dedication of these rural women proves that it is possible to save newborn lives where there are no physicians. Through this experience, I gained a strong interest in community-based programs and global health consulting. The work environment was supportive; the people I met were incredible. I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling internship experience.

Amy McDonough
JSI International Division Intern/DC
Summer 2009

I feel extremely lucky to have interned at JSI. My interest in public health was somewhat new at the start of the summer, but after only two months, I know I want to work in the public health field after graduating college. I mainly worked on IMMUNIZATIONbasics, and I was given a wide variety of tasks, including helping to prepare for and attending meetings at USAID, preparing country summary sheets that display the status of immunization in many developing countries, assisting with reports and proposals, and conducting literature reviews.

I also worked on the Europe and Eurasia Regional Family Planning Activity helping to prepare for a group of doctors from Russia, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan to come to Baltimore and Washington, DC, to learn about reproductive health and development.

On both projects—and at JSI as a whole—I was able to learn from an extremely diverse group of people, and I gained a wealth of knowledge that I will take wherever I go. I was treated more as an equal member of the team rather than an intern. The culture of JSI, coupled with the substantive work I was given, made this a truly successful summer and will help guide the rest of my time at college and thereafter.

Julia Rodgers
Communications Intern
Summer 2009

My internship with the JSI and World Education Communications team was better than I could have asked for. As the only high-school intern this summer, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to work at the same level as the other interns. But as soon as I arrived, I immediately forgot any concerns I had. Every person I met that first day—and every day after that—was warm and welcoming. The environment at JSI is so comfortable and I never felt hesitant to ask questions or voice comments/concerns. The combination of independence, support, education, and responsibility felt just right.

But the most amazing part of being an intern at JSI is what I was actually able to accomplish! Whether it was attending project updates or pulling project binders together, I always felt like I was contributing to the work and goals of the company. One rewarding example of this was updating the success story binders for World Education and JSI, and then later in the summer writing a success story myself!

Even tasks that might be considered routine were fun for me because I was constantly learning more about what JSI does. For example, adding photos to the database was interesting because it allowed me a look behind all the fantastic pictures of JSI's and World Education's work into the story behind each.

The benefit of working in Communications was that I learned about both the international and domestic work the company does. It was inspiring to witness how a successful public health company works to improve the lives of people all over the world. I have always wanted to work internationally, and now I can see myself focusing on public health, too.

Kate Russell
JSI International Division Intern/Ethiopia
Summer 2009

I spent an incredible summer at the Integrated Family Health Program in Ethiopia.

I may have learned more in one week in the field than my MPH courses could ever have taught me. We were working on an analysis of community-based implementation of immunizations by health extension workers. I spent the first few weeks developing surveys and planning focus group discussions as well as learning more about the IMNCI strategy in Ethiopia. However, it was in the field carrying out the study that I really understood the benefits and potential of the health extension program. Meeting these health workers was incredibly inspiring and I was honored to be a part of a project to help their cause.

In the following weeks of analysis and report writing, I was thrilled to find that my opinions and thoughts were valued by the team, and proud to know that I had made a contribution to the study. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern with JSI. What a wonderful launching pad for a future career in the field of international health!

Haley Schwartz
JSI Health Services Division Intern
Summer 2009

Before my internship at JSI, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But on my very first day I found out that I would have my own project; creating an e-Learning tutorial for providers about Lyme disease. For the first part of the summer, I researched everything I would ever need to know about Lyme disease. From there, I helped to organize and select which information would be included in the online training. I also helped create the script and draft the content.

Much of the work on this project I did on my own. While frustrating at times, it allowed me to master the process of creating an e-Learning training, and by the end of the summer, I fully appreciated the effort needed to create an engaging online course! Additionally, I came away with a greater understanding of health communications.

In addition to the e-Learning project, I assisted with research for proposals and projects. I learned about other JSI projects around the world at brown-bag lunches. The exposure and experience I got this summer at JSI cemented my love of public health work.

Scilla Bennett
JSI International Division Intern
Summer 2008

Who knew an internship could be enriching, educational, worthwhile, and FUN? My three months interning with the JSI International Division were all those things, and so much more. Although I knew JSI did great work, I had no idea it would be so great to work here! I learned more than I ever thought I would, including how an organization can succeed in providing international aid.

While I did do some 'intern-like' tasks, I was certainly not stuck in front of the copier and fax machine all day. I participated in a variety of projects, many of which gave me more responsibility than interns typically take. I was asked to complete the close-out of an international project, which involved sorting, sending, and distributing all of the project's reports, posters, photographs, and communication materials. I was also involved in a number of proposals, and even wrote part of a technical section on my own. I was surprised to be given so much independence and excited that interns were entrusted with important components of proposals.

Although I had never done work specifically related to public health before, I have always been interested in international aid work and developing sustainable help for rural communities. Working at JSI gave me enormous insight to the divergent problems facing many parts of the world, and how it is possible to intervene effectively while respecting local culture and customs. I now have a much better idea of how international public health works, and hope to pursue a career related to it. Luckily, the master's program I begin in the fall allows me enormous flexibility, and I plan to tailor my Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European MA to international aid, nongovernmental organizations, and sustainability intervention. JSI has given me solid footing on the road to success!

Eileen Ing
JSI Health Services Division Intern
Summer 2008

Before coming to work at JSI, I was nervous and excited at the same time. I had taken several community health classes already and had declared community health as my concentration. Now I was looking for something outside the classroom, something that would give me more of a sense of what community health actually is. This was my first real-interest internship and I had high hopes for it.

Within the first two days of being at JSI, I remember feeling overwhelmingly happy and excited because I knew I had chosen well; I was eager to learn and JSI is a place that encourages this. On my second day I attended a 'brown bag lunch' about stigma and AIDS in Zimbabwe, and also listened in on a bi-monthly national conference call for the Juvenile Drug Court, one of the projects on which I was to work. I attended weekly meetings with my team, and every other week there was 'book group', for which an article or video clip was assigned and discussed at the beginning of the subsequent meeting. This was a great way to learn more about the projects that I was working on and also other health-related topics.

Over the course of my internship, I helped with data management and was part of the data collection tool revision process. It was interesting to see how different things were in the 'real world' (as opposed to the classroom), with all of its constraints and factors to take into account. I also loved being able to talk with people who have worked in public health for years, and hearing their opinion and approach to the different matters.

Working at JSI has deepened my knowledge and passion for community health. At the beginning, I was unsure of what role community health would play in my future, if any, even though I'd been planning on attending medical school since I was younger. Now I've decided that in addition to a medical degree, I also want to pursue a masters in public health. One day I hope to use both degrees to help make a difference in peoples' lives.

Sapana Pradhan
JSI International Division Intern
Summer 2008

My internship with JSI has been a great experience. Totally new, as I was, to development organizations, I expected to gain some knowledge of how 'the system' works. Indeed, I met a lot of amazing people who not only helped me understand the system, but also taught so much about how things worked at JSI.

From the beginning, I was pulled to participate in various proposals. As a graduate in business and finance, I had no knowledge of or experience in public health. However, the project coordinators were considerate enough to give me roles related to finance at the outset, later exposing me to public health sections. Not only were people friendly, they made me feel very important by giving responsible duties to perform in the process of writing a proposal. I was able to do it all with the help of project coordinators!

Throughout this process, I learned the different things that needed to be considered while preparing budgets. I also got involved in other tasks that added variety to my internship. I was encouraged to participate in all sorts of activities, both work-related and fun. And the "don't hesitate to ask" environment made me feel totally at ease from the first day.

My internship at JSI was surely one of the best I could've hoped for. I'd like to thank every member of the JSI family for being so warm and nice to me.

Sarah Sitts
JSI International Division Intern
October 2007 - May 2008

I interned with JSI's Boston International Group (BIG) during my first year of Master's study at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University). I am pursuing a career in international development, and JSI provided the opportunity to learn more about international public health issues and projects. As I worked with most of the people in the division over the course of my internship, I was able to learn about many of JSI's projects around the world. The occasional brown bag presentations about various issues and projects in international health were also an important resource in learning more about international health challenges and strategies. Additionally, it was interesting to see how the structure and systems of a large, international organization have evolved to efficiently manage staff and resources to pursue its mission in a fast-paced world.

During my time at JSI, I was able to work on monitoring and evaluation projects, an area I wanted to learn more about. I also worked on project communications materials and publicity, prepared sections of proposals, assisted with field accounts, and helped out with miscellaneous projects around the office.

It was a pleasure to get to know and work with BIG staff members, all of whom have diverse and fascinating backgrounds, substantial expertise, and a deep commitment to improving health in other countries. Plus, they are full of fun! I hope many of our paths will cross again in the future!

Nkemjika Ugonabo
JSI International Division Intern
Winter 2008

As part of the Stanford (University) in Washington (DC) program, I was an intern at John Snow, Inc. in the winter of 2008. My experience at JSI was nothing short of spectacular. Most of my work was with the Reproductive Health for Refugees Project, for which I helped draft a proposal for a grant supported by the Friends of Liberia. I also did research on pediatric HIV and AIDS care regimens, highlighting gaps on children younger than 5-years-old in manuals, guides, and other documents. In addition, four other Stanford interns and I used Facebook, the social networking website, to launch a World Tuberculosis Day awareness campaign for JSI's TB Working group.

The welcoming and supportive work environment at JSI was an integral part of my internship experience. The dedicated staff at JSI have a refreshing and inspiring passion for international health. In my short time there, I learned so much from so many people, even those outside the realm of my projects.

My experience at JSI had a great personal, professional and academic effect upon me. I now know that public health is the career that I will pursue, and am very grateful to all the hard-working individuals at JSI who helped make my internship so wonderful.

Evelyn Abayaah
JSI/World Education Intern
Spring 2007

My work as an intern for John Snow, Inc., and World Education, Inc., was a great experience that I will not soon forget. I worked on different projects within different divisions, which allowed me to learn a lot about how various areas function. My initial objective was to work on health literacy projects, to find out if domestic health literacy was different from international health literacy and, if so, to see if there were lessons that could be drawn from those differences. My work turned out to be a bit different, but I must say I ended up enjoying it and liked the level of responsibility and the different projects I worked on. I also liked the level of independence I was given and the confidence that my supervisor had in me. I was happy to be able to do real work and demonstrate that I was capable of executing whatever was assigned. My internship gave me the ability to use the skills I had acquired from college, allowing me to put theory and practice into perspective. I felt very much at home at JSI/WEI because everybody was so nice, willing to help, and treated me as one of their own.

The bulk of my time was spent compiling all JSI/World Education's health literacy work into one comprehensive document. I dove right into my project by accessing all the information I needed from the intranet, internet, and then contacting program officers and coordinators from both organizations to learn more. The result was a long list of projects, some of which needed updating. This was a valuable experience because it gave me the rare opportunity to learn about all the health literacy projects that had been undertaken over the years and how they effected specific target populations. This was something I could not have learned in school, but what pleases me even more is that people are using the information I collected to do their work.

Other projects I worked on included helping to identify potential funding sources for World Education's Ghana (where I am from!) Project. I also worked on researching information for JSI's Tobacco and Literacy Project, which involved putting together a package of information as background materials for teachers who participated in the project. I also had the opportunity to go to New Hampshire to help pilot-test a new curriculum that was developed for adult education teachers to educate their students about the adverse effects of tobacco use. In addition, I worked on researching a potential learning management system to keep track of training registrations, pre-assessments, and evaluations.

I must say I find myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do an incredible internship at JSI and World Education. I had an experience that does not compare to any other internship I have had. As busy as people may have been, they still found time to help me and everybody was very cheerful and willing to talk. I am glad I got to experience a nonprofit organization and how it functions. The experiences I acquired will forever be with me and for this I am grateful. I'll be graduating in just a few days and I am sure that the skills and knowledge I gained at JSI and World Ed will come in handy wherever I work next.

I want to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who made my stay here fruitful and helped to make my internship a great one.

Diana Colon
JSI Health Services Division Intern
Summer 2007

In June, I could hardly have imagined I would learn so much after spending only two months working in JSI's US division, working on The Leadership Campaign on AIDS (TLCA). My work with TLCA involved a range of activities. I usually assisted team members with project-related activities. Primarily though, I assessed the effectiveness of the TLCA database as a tool to document activities. Through my work with the database, I learned about the team's involvement and work with TLCA. This really helped me to learn and adjust to being a part of the team. It was good to know that I was helping JSI with this much-needed work. The TLCA team openly appreciated any opinions and insights I had. It was a pleasure to work in such a welcoming atmosphere that allowed me to express my ideas freely.

As a student majoring in biochemistry at Smith College, I plan to attend medical school in the future, so I will spend part of my upcoming senior year contemplating the many options laid before me after graduation. My internship at JSI has given me a perspective that perhaps many pre-med students haven't explored. Students whom I know continuously express concern over what they should research in the future to gain notoriety and respect in the scientific community. I don't blame them for doing so, since our professors and mentors, and institutions in general put a lot of pressure on us to succeed. However, it is important to concern ourselves with the public health issues that plague the world, and not isolate ourselves in a laboratory for the sake of our own glorification. After all, it is the good of all that usually propels one to pursue medical research in the first place.

This summer at JSI, I was able to educate myself about HIV and AIDS, and I was also able to meet some incredibly interesting and friendly people who were more than willing to share their experience and knowledge with me. Conversing with them was a learning experience on its own. I hope that in the not-too-distant future I will have an opportunity to talk with them and share ideas again.

Marco Steinsieck
JSI International Division Intern
Summer 2007

My internship in the JSI International Division was fantastic! I found the internship at JSI ideal. The environment is extremely supportive and understanding of interns' desires to be greatly involved in the work that is done. Within weeks of my start-date, I was pulled onto a major proposal for AIDS prevention in southern Africa. Just a few weeks earlier, I had been in school, studying health interventions in the same region; now I found myself participating in the nascent stages of an actual project there!

Over the next month I was able to work on a number of proposals, each of which lent me the opportunity to learn about different areas of public health, regions of the world, and the various supporters of international public health work. I've interned at a number of different for-profits and nonprofits, and I can't imagine another organization allowing me to participate in the development of such proposals, gain the inside knowledge of working with different donors, and be introduced to the complex landscape of international public health.

The day-to-day work on proposals was exciting, dynamic, and demanding. JSI staff encouraged me to be involved in various aspects of the proposal development process so I could learn as much as possible. They are truly interested in making the interning experience meaningful. My JSI internship has absolutely been a defining experience for me and will benefit me throughout my career.

Lauren Alexanderson
Communications Intern at JSI
June – August 2005

During my orientation training session on my first day at John Snow, Inc and World Education, it was requested that I provide a brief introduction and describe my project. Grasping for words, I stated that I am a rising senior at Brown University and that I would be working on the Health Literacy Project in the Communications Division. I had no idea what that entailed.

When I look back on this internship, I realize that it was comparable to Little Red Riding Hood's flower-picking adventure in the woods. (You remember, each new flower led her to another, until she had ventured far from the path where she began.) I started with a bookshelf stacked with materials, written in various languages, and a small booklet on the status of the Health Literacy Database, a project that a former intern set into motion back in January. As I probed further, I discovered that the materials on these shelves represented a fraction of the total number of JSI and World Education health literacy publications. Thus, my task was to collect more materials, organize them, enter them into the existing database, and create electronic copies for each. My hunt for new materials opened doors to even more documents, but also to additional health literacy projects.

My work at JSI and World Ed has been a gratifying combination of administrative, organizational, and creative tasks. In addition to advancing the Health Literacy Database, I have reviewed websites for the Family Health Literacy Compendium, edited and formatted a health literacy annotated bibliography, helped to plan the Health Literacy Forum in the fall, written short articles, and edited success stories, website content, and other JSI or World Education documents.

This type of internship is well-suited for someone who likes to work independently. For the most part, I was a free agent and set my own agenda and deadlines for my project goals; thus I definitely honed my time management and organizational skills. Perhaps more importantly, I was introduced to the important issue of health literacy.

I came to JSI with two goals in mind: to learn more about the field of communication and to understand, by the end, what is meant by "health communication." I can say, with pleasure, that this internship has profoundly shaped my future plans. In the immediate future, I have changed the focus of my senior thesis to health literacy. I am looking ahead to graduate programs in health communication. I am applying for a fellowship to study approaches to health literacy issues abroad. Ultimately, this internship brought me far from my origin and helped me to forge a new, more focused path, in an area where I truly hope I will make a difference.

Marie Lippeveld
U.S. Health Services Division Intern
June – August 2005

When I first came to work for JSI, I was surprised by how helpful the staff was in tailoring my interests to my project involvement. Being a psychology major at McGill University, I was looking to see how I could apply my theoretical knowledge to the real world. JSI gave me this opportunity by introducing me to projects such as QuitWorks, a tobacco cessation program, and the Rhode Island Employer Survey, a study that is looking to improve health insurance options for Rhode Island employers. During my three month stay at JSI, I split my time between these two projects, and was also involved in putting together several proposals.

My work at JSI varied from faxing client reports back to health care providers, to coordinating a focus group for Brown University. I was assigned fixed tasks that had to be completed each week, but I was also introduced to new tasks everyday, making my job less repetitive. What I liked the most about working for JSI was that my project managers always made sure to involve me in most of the planning that took place for our projects. I attended weekly meetings and was encouraged to put forth my opinions and findings. I felt that people were truly interested in what I had to say. Attending these meeting was important to me because it helped me see how my work fit into the project as a whole.

The most valuable aspect of my internship however did not come from the tasks I performed but from all the new and interesting people I met and what I learned from them. The JSI staff is a truly amazing group of people who are devoted to their work and passionate about what they do. I enjoyed working with all of them and am grateful for all their help in making my experience here a great one.

Emily Miller
JSI/World Education PR/Development intern
May – August 2005

My work as a summer communications intern involved working for John Snow, Inc and World Education. My days varied completely and were never alike because no two projects resemble one another at these organizations. The small nature of the communications department in JSI/World Ed allowed me to have an in-depth look at what a communications job means for a non-profit. I was treated like a staff member and expected to perform work that had a real impact for the organizations. No fetching coffee or filing here! I enjoyed the level of responsibility I was given and that I was treated as an equal. This treatment of interns demonstrates the high level of character that JSI/World Education looks for in employees.

A large focus of my time here was spent developing the backbone that is necessary for a successful public service announcement campaign. I jumped in right away by forming a press list by calling contacts throughout the Boston-area and other places throughout the country gathering contact information and prices. I was also involved in the actual creation of the PSA's themselves through creating and editing text, searching and placing pictures and working with JSI's in-house graphic designer. This was a valuable experience to be included in because the mechanics and little details that go into this developmental process are something that cannot be learned in a classroom.

Other tasks included formatting and editing articles, performing development work through researching foundations and other grant venues, and writing and sending press releases and pitch letters. I also helped create a new pressroom on the JSI website that was re-launched while I was an intern and edited the content of the website prior to the launch. This is something tangible that I can show future employers. Another privilege of this internship was the opportunity to be involved with the World Education Board of Trustees meeting. So much of a non-profit's activities are affected by Board decisions and it was a valuable insight into this influential part of the non-profit world. It was very much an honor for me.

I was incredibly fortunate for this summer internship. I have interned at other non-profits and working at JSI/World Education was a great experience because the companies themselves are fantastic. They set themselves apart from other organizations because they are well-run, organized and professional. The work environment is a rewarding place because the people here are enthusiastic about their jobs. One of the biggest rewards was learning about these organizations themselves. Prior to my internship I knew very little about JSI/World Education but through my contact with their material, I was able to dig deeper into the important work that these organizations accomplish. I learned that efficient non-profits exist and they can be financially sound while having many projects operating throughout the world.

This internship was an eye-opening experience. Through the various jobs I performed, I learned what makes a non-profit tick. I immensely enjoyed my work here but it further exposed me to other sides of a non-profit. The next step in my learning process is to delve deeper into the project development and implementation side in the non-profit world. Mainly, I am beyond glad that I had this internship because it made me realize that this is the type of work I want to do after I graduate.

Abanish Rizal
JSI International Division Intern
November 2004 – June 2005

My internship with JSI involved working closely with Project Coordinators to provide administrative and financial support to United States government funded projects and other projects funded by different donors. While this internship was mostly administrative in nature, it gave me ample opportunities to look at the technical aspect of various bilateral projects. My primary job was to help Project Coordinators in the administrative side of their projects from doing procurement of HIV/AIDS test kits to hiring consultants and writing their contracts to organizing conferences and booking plane tickets. I also worked on updating manuals used by our projects and this task gave me a thorough understanding of JSI's internal operations.

JSI's goal to build capacity to address crucial health problems was clearly evident from most projects that I worked on. For example, in Uganda along with working with the Ministry of Health to implement health policies, UPHOLD works with various local community-based organizations through partnerships and people-centered approaches for a sustained client-friendly environment. How did I learn this? While building a website for this project I was involved in gathering necessary information for this website. Thus, I got acquainted with UPHOLD's work, its core technical areas of intervention, its strategies and the results of the work being performed.

When I came to JSI in November 2004, my first project involved doing mass mailings for the Joint Learning Initiative project which had recently published a strategy report. I learnt how to convert hundreds of data in excel into address labels without having to retype them again. My final activities included supporting the UPHOLD project. This involved paying invoices to subcontractors, writing subcontract amendments, and wiring money to the field. I also organized the logistics for Conference attendance and JSI's bi-annual International Division meeting. Thus, my responsibilities grew by leaps and bounds during my time at JSI. Throughout, I also worked as part of a team on new business developments writing proposals for various projects around the world.

I had already done field work in Nepal and I wanted to see the administrative and financial aspects of a public health firm. By the end of my internship, I realize the importance of administrative and financial work being as being crucial to the success of a project as the actual field work itself. It was important for me to see both aspects of work involved in public health. Most all this internship has made me realize that this is the type of work I want to be doing for the rest of my life. I have been accepted into a graduate school of my choice and will be pursuing my Masters in International Health, so this internship gave me an opportunity to achieve every bit of what I had hoped for.