Haas Impact Internship Award

I had the unique opportunity to go to Rwanda to support Madiro, a new impact investor focused on healthcare innovation in Africa. I found it especially rewarding to set up new processes from scratch, creating structures that enable growth and long-term impact. This is why I am aiming to join a growing impact startup in the Bay Area to further develop my operational skills and continue driving meaningful change.

Living in Rwanda and working at CHAI gave me invaluable insights into how the global health donor landscape operates. I am incredibly grateful for CSSL’s HIIA as it made it financially feasible for me to work at a nonprofit, live abroad, and manage ongoing expenses in Berkeley.

I spent my summer at the National Park Service doing internal consulting for their Business Management Group who was facing tough operational problems. I wouldn’t have had the chance to learn from this unique experience without the support of HIIA, which made it financially possible to turn down a private sector internship. HIIA gave me the freedom to pursue where my intellect, heart, and passion were leading.

Thanks to HIIA, I could move to Kenya for my summer internship and work for Odyssey, a startup accelerating the clean energy transition in emerging markets. I’m passionate about working in developing markets because the social and environmental challenges have different scales, leaving more space for creativity and disruptive innovation.

As part of my internship, I was based in Accra, Ghana and got the unique opportunity to immerse myself in a new country and culture. The financial support provided by HIIA was a determining factor in my decision to accept this internship. It has not only helped me realize a long-time aspiration of working at CHAI, but also solidified my commitment to pursuing a career in global health and development post-graduation from Haas.

Engaging with mission-driven entrepreneurs reinforced my understanding of how financial sustainability and social impact can go hand in hand, shaping my perspective on investing in high-impact businesses. The Haas Impact Internship Award (HIIA) played a crucial role in supporting my learning journey, especially as an international student exploring impact-focused work. The financial support from HIIA allowed me to fully immerse myself in the internship, giving me the flexibility to take on meaningful, hands-on projects without financial constraints.

It has always been my dream to work for the World Health Organization, and I am so grateful for your support to make that dream a reality! With a background in public health and a focus on social impact at Haas, I found working at the World Health Organization this summer to be a perfect fit. I was able to use my experience in environmental health to support the department in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their environmental health offices for thirty-five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

I worked with a small team of designers to develop a public health communication campaign in an at-risk immigrant community in Marin County. Constantly updated guidance on COVID-19 protocols and vaccinations led fatigue and confusion. In response, the CDC funded a project that brought together the University of Minnesota’s National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants, with Canal Alliance, a local CBO with whom we would co-design and pilot the campaign.