Healthy Savannah Summer Interns Dive in and Embrace Public Health Opportunities

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Aug. 15, 2023 - PRLog -- (SAVANNAH, GA) Healthy Savannah is pleased to announce the conclusion of a two-month internship program that helped foster community involvement in making Savannah a healthier place to live, work and play.

Summer interns Alejandra Moreno Arreola and Kellie Arnold gathered community feedback from more than 200 surveys, actively participated in numerous community engagement events and created social media content during the program.

Most of the projects the interns worked on are designed to elevate the health and wellness of Black and Hispanic community members through funding from the five-year, $3.4 million grant called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.

"Their commitment, dedication, and fresh perspectives have been invaluable assets to Healthy Savannah and the communities we serve," said Paula Kreissler, executive director. "Our goal was to provide direction and support to two promising students pursuing degrees and careers in public health as well as to nurture the potential of these aspiring professionals and equip them with practical experience in the field. These two students are now prepared to engage from day one in their careers and our community is a better place because of their work here."

Arreola is currently pursuing a master's degree in public health at Texas A&M, engaged in an internship facilitated by the CDC. Her focus during the Healthy Savannah internship was on enhancing the organization's online presence by redesigning the website and spearheading various community engagement events.

Arnold, who is in her final year pursuing a bachelor's degree in public health with an emphasis on global health at Georgia Southern University, brought her passion for nutrition to the forefront of her internship.

"I discovered Healthy Savannah through the Georgia Southern career center, which aligned perfectly with my goals," Arnold said. "My internship work focused on engaging with Healthy Savannah partnerships like Farm Truck 912 and Fresh Express."

"The key to having a successful public health internship is to know your interests and actively pursue them during your internship," said Arreola. "This will enhance your passion and dedication to your work."