At the University of Rochester, public health and anthropology students learn best by doing. Through the Nancy Chin Community Impact Internship Fund, students work directly with local organizations to address real-world health challenges and support vulnerable populations.
These internships are more than learning experiences, they’re partnerships. Students gain practical skills, cultural humility, and a deeper understanding of how social and structural factors influence health. Meanwhile, community organizations benefit from students’ fresh perspectives, energy, and passion for service.
Your support helps expand these opportunities beyond the classroom—funding summer internships that provide students with life-changing, hands-on experience and make a tangible difference in our community. Together, we can prepare the next generation of public health leaders to serve with empathy, purpose, and impact.
Student Testimonials
"I would not be the person I am today without the community-engaged work I was privileged to participate in during my undergraduate studies. Now a 3rd-year URSMD medical student, I am constantly reminded of UR's commitment to the biopsychosocial model. A [hands-on community experience] embodies this commitment. My work with Huther Doyle to serve the Loomis Street encampment opened my eyes to the structural causes and perpetuators of homelessness and substance use disorders. Simultaneously, it acquainted me with local and regional resources for housing and rehabilitation centers, and strategies for engagement with a community repeatedly wronged by those in power. Now on clinical rotations, these structural patterns repeat themselves in the patients I see, and I am grateful to have this prior knowledge to guide me…a community internship has the capacity to transform students' understanding of the community which gave them a home away from home. Rochester's strengths lie in its expansive network of community resources and a public health student's education would not be complete without direct involvement in the work of these organizations."
Alexandra Kaplan
MD Program, Class of 2026
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
"[My] community engagement internship was instrumental in bridging the gap between the theoretical knowledge I acquired through my courses at the University and its practical application in real-world settings. My experience working at Bethany House, a transitional shelter supporting unhoused women and children, allowed me to apply didactic content in a dynamic, less controlled environment. This hands-on experience enabled me to connect deeply with community members and interact with a diverse range of stakeholders, including both Bethany House facilitators and residents engaging with its services while simultaneously having the tools to better understand and reflect on the implications of my environment.
One aspect I particularly appreciated about the University of Rochester throughout my time as a student was its commitment to leveraging education for community betterment. The opportunity to work directly with Bethany House not only enhanced my understanding of public health applications, but also provided invaluable experience in navigating the complexities of fieldwork. It helped teach me the importance of tact, sensitivity, and effective communication, skills crucial for successful community engagement and program implementation that helped me as I moved forward in my professional aspirations. This practical experience has been pivotal in deepening my grasp of how public health principles can be applied to make a meaningful impact in the community, and I hope to continue them forward as I further grow in my academic and professional endeavors."
Priya Mandava
MD Program, Class of 2028
University of Rochester School of Medicine
"As a former [community intern], I can attest that this was one of the most valuable, transformative, and personally impactful experiences of my undergraduate public health education at the University of Rochester. As a young professional who is now working on issues directly related to health equity and community health systems, I credit the community-engaged internship course with helping me to understand the social and structural determinants of health with a depth and clarity that I could not possibly have gained in the classroom alone, giving me tools that I still rely on today to help me think, write and talk critically about health equity. Aside from the personal impact that this course had on my educational experience at UR, I would also like to emphasise the contribution it makes towards more deeply integrating the university within the multiple and diverse communities that make up the city of Rochester. When I started studying in the United States as an international student, I was often struck by the extent to which I felt separate from the communities around me, outside of the university bubble. It wasn’t until [my community internship] that I felt like I was connecting to Rochester, beyond the U of R, in a truly meaningful way."
Shannon Borell
Undergraduate Public Health Program
International Relations
University of Rochester, Class of 2023
