From Intern to Impact

When I first started my internship with High Sierra AHEC, I was simply grateful for the opportunity. Public health is such a broad field, and I was excited to learn about a side of it that I had not experienced before: healthcare workforce development. At the time, I never imagined that this opportunity would lead to a full-time position as a Rural Community Health Advocate or that I would find an area of public health I am so passionate about.

One of the most meaningful parts of my work has been the relationships I have built with students and teachers. Seeing a student I have worked with and hearing a simple, “Hi, Ishika!” can make my day. I enjoy when students stop to tell me about their day, what they are working on, or what they are excited about. These moments may seem small, but they have shown me that making an impact is not always about doing something big. Sometimes, it is simply being someone students recognize, trust, and look forward to seeing.

I have also learned that students are more engaged when they can see themselves in what they are learning. Whether we are talking about healthcare careers, health, or their communities, I want to make learning relatable and help students see how it connects to their own lives and futures.

This work is especially meaningful to me because I come from a rural community myself. Rural communities have unique strengths, but they also face challenges such as limited resources, distance, and healthcare workforce shortages. I know I cannot solve all of these challenges, but I can be part of the effort to make a difference.

I am excited to take another step in that journey by beginning my first Project ROARR implementation in Yerington in October. Project ROARR introduces students to healthcare systems and careers they can explore through five modules, and I am especially excited to teach Module 2, which focuses on research. In the world we live in today, I think it is important for students to know how to find reliable information, ask questions, and recognize when something they are being told may not be supported by evidence. These are skills they can use beyond the classroom, from completing school projects to making informed decisions about their own health. I am excited to bring the new presentations and activities I have been developing into the classroom and connect what I have learned through my own public health education to real-life examples. Most importantly, I am excited to meet new students, build new relationships, and help them see the possibilities a career in healthcare can offer. What started as an internship has become a career I am passionate about and an opportunity to give back to communities like the one I came from. For me, that is what it means to go from intern to impact.