Great Lakes and Alumni Summer Internship Program
The AIDS Institute
Blog #1: Described your first few days at your internship. What are some things that have stood out to you or that you did not
expect?
When arriving at The AIDS Institute, some of the first things that stood out to me were the levels of dedication shown by the employees and the commitment of agencies and individuals with whom we work to provide linking to care services and policy reform. I did not expect to be entrusted with so many projects early on, but I am happy to take on these tasks and accomplish them in a timely and well-executed manner. In the first few days, I participated in a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)/Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (nPEP) Pre-Consultation webinar and will be attending a statewide PrEP/nPEP Stakeholder’s Consultation in Orlando this upcoming week. For this conference, I am entrusted to create the evaluation forms that I will then analyze once the appropriate data is submitted. I also attended a grant writing workshop where I learned about various types of grants, structural formatting, and grant resources. Other projects include creating a website for the HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness campaign, working on restructuring HepInfoNow.org and contributing to work-group conference calls and webinars.
Picture 1#: Take a picture of what you would typically wear to work.
It is a business casual environment so, appropriate dress entails knee length skirts, low heels and trying to tame my lion’s mane by keeping it pulled back.
Blog #2: What have you found difficult thus far about your internship? How have you coped with those difficulties?
The biggest challenge I have faced thus far at The AIDS Institute is familiarizing myself with the appropriate vocabulary and jargon used in the HIV/AIDS non-profit world. Coming from a biomedical background, I am comfortable with HIV virology; however, this standpoint has limitations because it perpetuates the examination of HIV in the abstract. This perception manifests when using the appropriate terms when referring to the HIV-positive and at-risk communities. For example, at the PrEP/nPEP Stakeholder’s Consultation I referred to these aforementioned communities as “target population” and someone suggested that I use the term “focus areas” instead which, in retrospect, is a more approachable and community-friendly term. Another example is my unfamiliarity with common references within the HIV/AIDS non-profit community. For example, there are extensive acronyms thrown around during conference calls and meetings and I had no clue what they referenced. To cope with this issue, my supervisor sent me an acronym list that a previous intern compiled and it has been a tremendous help. With all of the feedback I am getting from my supervisor and other staff, I hope to see growth in my ability to fluctuate between biomedical and non-profit language.
Picture #2: Include a photo of your workplace.
The AIDS Institute offices are on the 4th floor of the 17 Davis Building in Tampa, Florida.
Blog #3: What skills and training have you been developing so far at your internship? Are you building you network--making connections and meeting people--and, if so, how are you doing this?
During my internship at The AIDS Institute (TAI), I have gained a wealth of knowledge in various areas. For example, I have become more familiar with website development software by creating a TAI-supported site for HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness. I have also used Excel for in-office accounting analysis, which coming from a Chemistry background I never really had to use. I am familiarizing myself with various facets of HIV/AIDS related policy, both at the state and federal level. Through this process, I am also becoming aware of the contributing roles of consumers, advocates/allies, and stakeholders in the development of HIV policy, access, and education. I met representatives of each of these areas during the Florida Statewide PrEP/nPEP Stakeholder's Consultation, Positive Voices webinar, and a recent meeting I attended with the Ryan White Care Council.
Picture #3: Take a picture of you and your colleague(s).
My supervisor, Michelle Scavnicky, MS and I at the Florida Statewide PrEP/nPEP Stakeholder's Consultation. I report directly to Michelle and she has been a really great source of knowledge - I love picking her brain about the ins and outs of non-profit work.
Blog #4: What is an interesting task or activity you have done that you really enjoyed that you did not think of when starting your internship or did not think you would like? Why? Was there a task you did not think you would like but did? Why?
I really enjoyed designing TAI’s website for the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness campaign. I was able to find a creative application for my fascination with previous research that I have done around HIV and aging in my neurochemistry course at Ohio Wesleyan. I did not think that I would have an opportunity to design a website, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Aside from formatting the website to be accessible to our users, my favorite part about creating the content on the website was having the opportunity to review data pertaining to the HIV epidemic among older adults.
Another task that pleasantly surprised me was an internal meeting expense review. Using meeting costs from the last several years, I compiled an excel spreadsheet that examined the fluctuating costs in hotel, transportation, and meeting attendees. Initially, I did not think that I would enjoy this task because I have never been a money-oriented thinker, however I thought the data crunching was relaxing. I was excited to show a simplified version of the raw data because it reflected my understanding of the accounting I was asked to examine. In the non-profit sector, these aspects of business and finance are just as important as public health service delivery.
Picture #4: Take a picture of you at work/practicing what you are learning. (Theory-to-Practice in action!)
A quick break at my desk from a hectic morning on my last day at work.
Blog #5: What connection(s) has your internship helped you draw from your work and activities at Ohio Wesleyan? Does your internship connect a lot with what you are/have been learning at OWU? Are there any discrepancies? If so, where and how?
The connections between my work at The AIDS Institute and Ohio Wesleyan are abundant. At Ohio Wesleyan, I have taken classes that have a health-oriented focus ranging from Biochemistry to Sociological Issues in Public Health. These classes offer diverse insights that range not only from the manifestation of individual well-being but also into the bureaucracy of health systems. During my time at TAI, I learned that these insights reflect a larger scope of public health. For example, I learned about the Ryan White Care Act of 1990 during two of my OWU classes, so I thought that a really cool experience was sitting in on a county-wide Care Council meeting where the attendees reviewed the formulary (the list of medicines covered by RWCA1990). Other examples of connections between the two institutions were shown in diligence and work ethic. At OWU, our science department is tough on its students and demands a lot of our time, patience, and skill-set. I appreciated any constructive criticism provided by my supervisor and I hope to take the lessons learned and apply them in future areas of work.
Picture #5: Take a picture in some OWU gear or OWU-themed clothes (black and red).
