Shared Effort

Name: Karen Jeng ’08

Where are you a fellow? I am a Research and Policy Fellow at Children’s HealthWatch.

Who is your mentor? Rebecca Nemec ’05

Share a memorable experience you have had as a PP55 fellow:
One of my most memorable experiences as a PP55 fellow has been attending conferences centered on health, hunger prevention, or homelessness prevention. At these conferences, I have heard wonderful talks from professionals in the field who effectively demonstrate the positive effect of our advocacy work. I have also been able to interact with both my colleagues at work and other advocates around the state who are very passionate about their work in the public health sector.

PP55 Fellow Karen Jeng '08

Children’s HealthWatch has also been wonderful in catering to many of my future interests. I am interested in medicine, so Debbie Frank has allowed me to shadow her. I have also had the chance to volunteer in the Pediatric ER where I conduct policy interviews. Through this activity, I see first hand the disparities in healthcare and the importance of Children’s HealthWatch in helping close these gaps.

What have you learned during your fellowship?
I think the most important and interesting thing I’ve learned is how passionate people in the nonprofit world, especially Children’s HealthWatch, are about their work. The people I work with are incredibly intelligent, talented, and dedicated to their work. The most rewarding thing about my fellowship is the feeling that I am making a difference through my work. Children’s HealthWatch has involved me in the frontlines of the advocacy work that they do – giving me, essentially, a crash course in public health. The passion people have for their work is compelling and inspiring; interacting with them has given me many ideas for my future. It is a wonderful environment to be exposed to coming right out of college.