At the start of the new year, PCDC welcomed three new interns for the spring semester. Coming from diverse backgrounds of varied skills and talents, they are excited to contribute to PCDC’s mission during their time here. Each of them has shared a bit about their particular position and their hopes for the upcoming semester.
Divya Raman
Performance Improvement & Evaluations Intern
School: Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
Degree: MHA in Health Policy & Management
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
What drew you to this internship opportunity?
I was drawn to this internship because PCDC’s commitment to increasing access to care aligned well with my own career interests in improving and optimizing the patient experience. My background has primarily been in clinical trials, and I felt that this internship would be a good transition out of academia and into an industry setting. Also, I have previously worked on tobacco cessation research, so the New York City Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) project seemed like a great opportunity to further expand upon that knowledge.
What are your typical responsibilities?
My primary responsibility involves the NYCTT program with NYU Langone. I will be conducting surveys with various Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) around the city. The data collection will include their awareness of recent smoke-free policies in public housing and identifying the smoking cessation services that FQHCs currently provide. This information will be valuable in assessing public housing residents’ compliance with smoke-free policies. I also provide support on several evaluation and data visualization projects.
What are you most excited about for this position?
I am excited to learn more about the U.S. health care payment system and how it relates to the services provided by FQHCs to underserved populations. I am also eager to develop my data visualization skills by working on projects using the data software Tableau.
What are your main goals for this internship?
I aim to step out of my comfort zone and learn new skills that can supplement my current coursework, specifically in data visualization and quality improvement.
Fun Fact:
I recently moved to New York after spending most of my life in California, so I’m currently experiencing my first real winter!
Naomi Arnot
Communications Intern
School: St. John’s University, Queens
Degree: Communication Arts (Major), Advertising (Minor)
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
What drew you to this internship opportunity?
PCDC initially caught my eye because of the field of work that they are in. I wanted to work for an organization that has a strong and meaningful mission statement that will benefit a whole community, and PCDC stood out in that category. Additionally, with this being a Communications position, I am now able to receive hands-on experience in a field that is highly relevant to my major.
What are your typical responsibilities?
As the Communications Intern, my primary responsibilities include designing graphics and composing social media posts to increase PCDC’s social media presence on various platforms. Along with that, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with different departments, such as the HIP team, by creating layouts for PCDC-related materials and content.
What are you most excited about for this position?
I am most excited to see the end product of all the hard work amongst the interns and how our time here has affected PCDC along with how PCDC has affected us. I’m also looking forward to working with more people in the office in various departments and learning from them. It is going to be amazing to see all of the progress we have made throughout the semester and how much we have grown.
What are your main goals for this internship?
My primary goal of this internship is to gain a better understanding of the nonprofit industry as a whole by learning more about how the ins and outs of such an organization. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work in a nonprofit organization that primarily focused on caring for older adults. Coming to PCDC is exciting for me because I now have the opportunity to work in another nonprofit all while learning more about a different field. I hope to develop both personally and professionally in any way possible during my internship. Whether it be further developing my Photoshop and InDesign skills, getting a better understanding of the flow of information in an organization, or simply learning how to use a copy machine in an office, I know that PCDC is the perfect place for me to grow.
Fun Fact:
I love everything Disney!
Rebekah Laguerre
Policy and Communications Intern
School: Baruch College
Degree: Public and International Affairs Major, Honors Interdisciplinary Minor in NYC Studies
Hometown: Harlem, New York
What drew you to this internship opportunity?
PCDC’s mission of creating healthier and more equitable communities made me gravitate towards getting a position as an intern here. I have always wanted to intern at a nonprofit, and this organization’s priorities and goals match mine my own personal goals and tie along with my interests.
What are your typical responsibilities?
I help support the Advocacy and Communications team, attend weekly meetings, and serve where needed within the group. My typical responsibilities include raising awareness of what PCDC has done, and continues to do, throughout the past 25 years. I learn, study, and write about each project that has been done in each city council district to raise awareness on just how impactful PCDC has been in implementing and contributing to better health in a vast array of communities.
What are you most excited about for this position?
I am most excited about learning the inner workings of a nonprofit organization. I’ve already come to learn that PCDC is not a “traditional” nonprofit, but that gives me all the more opportunities to learn what different organizations do and what they have to offer different communities.
What are your main goals for this internship?
My main goal is to absorb as much knowledge as I can of all subject matters pertaining to PCDC. What I mean by that is I want to learn more about not only my position here at PCDC, but the roles, tasks, responsibilities, and subject matters of all sectors of the organization. I hope to gather a more knowledgeable, experienced, and informed perspective about the ways in which nonprofits meet their goals and to learn how I, as an individual, can contribute to the success of various causes.
Fun Fact:
I was on three sports teams in high school and love participating in sports for fun!
–Written by Naomi Arnot, intern with PCDC’s Advocacy and Communications group
