Katherine Chen is a Master of Public Health (MPH) student at the George Washington University who completed her practicum experience and internship with the Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI) at Children’s National Hospital. She shares her experience as a graduate student and intern with the Community Affairs team at CHAI over the past year. 

My journey with CHAI began as a practicum student in June 2024, just a few weeks after completing my undergraduate studies in public health. Fast forward a year later to May 2025, having completed my MPH, I now find myself wrapping up a meaningful chapter as a graduate intern with CHAI and the Community Affairs team. It has been inspiring to work alongside a team of mentors and colleagues who are passionate about achieving health equity for children and engaging with the communities that Children’s National serves. This past year has been filled with valuable lessons, mentorships, and opportunities that have allowed me to grow personally and professionally as I continue to navigate my post-graduate career in public health.

Some of my most memorable experiences as an intern have been supporting CHAI’s efforts in community engagement. My first week with CHAI included attending Community Health Improvement Week (CHIW), which celebrated the hospital’s community partnerships and highlighted their programs. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to engage with families at several community events, such as World Book Day at the main campus hospital and the Family Affair Immunization Events at THEARC in Ward 8. I have also supported CHAI’s goals to increase access to healthy food options by volunteering with the hospital’s food pharmacy program at the Columbia Heights clinic and packing food items at the Capital Area Food Bank for distribution to local food banks as part of CHIW. These efforts were not only rewarding but also demonstrated the importance of engaging with communities to understand their needs.

As a graduate student, I have also had the opportunity to apply my background in child health and skills in research to support CHAI’s initiatives, such as fostering youth engagement within our communities and helping strengthen school health partnerships in the District. I attended workshops with local DC education offices to identify and promote resources related to special education and social emotional learning for families and educators. I also supported qualitative research activities such as developing interview guides, conducting individual interviews, and identifying key themes and takeaways for the School Health Summit and the Community Health Needs Assessment/Community Health Improvement Plan. A highlight for me was creating the CHAI School Partnerships Youth Engagement video, which captured how youth-focused career programs at Children’s National have shaped students’ career trajectories through the voices of students and mentors. This project was especially captivating to learn directly from our youth interns about their experiences navigating their early careers and how Children’s National can help support their career development.

One of the most empowering lessons I have learned from CHAI is how to be an effective and informed advocate for our communities. In September 2024, I attended the Keep Kids Covered Act Press Conference in front of the U.S. Capitol alongside CHAI colleagues, where I listened to pediatric health leaders and professionals call on Congress to continue providing health care coverage for eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. This press conference demonstrated how public health professionals and government leaders can drive health equity and address community disparities. I am extremely proud to have engaged in CHAI’s advocacy priorities as an intern and to have supported their efforts through building community partnerships and expanding advocacy education.

CHAI has inspired me in many ways to pursue my passions in improving community health and continue advocating for the health and wellbeing of children and families. This past year has been an incredibly rewarding and meaningful experience, which would not have been possible without the guidance and support of my mentor, Julia DeAngelo. I’d also like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the CHAI staff and Community Affairs team, especially Tonya Vidal Kinlow, Desiree de la Torre, Dr. Danielle Dooley, and Courtney Dennis, who have provided me with continuous support and encouragement throughout my internship. I am looking forward to this next chapter and am excited to see the future of CHAI and this wonderful team!