experience summary

Internship Portfolio-Mills

Experience Summary

During my internship I acquired the skills to educate, advocate, research, and train the Native

Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population for achieving better overall health and wellbeing. This

was particularly valuable because I was able to gain knowledge in an area that I was uneducated

in, as well as gain perspective in the contrast between cultures and ethnicities that make up the

United States. I had a series of objectives in this process in order to make the most of this

experience. These include; aiding in the Aloha Seniors Weekly Community Project that includes

senior exercise, health education, and traditional arts, assessing nutritional information in fast

foods, convenient foods, and foods consumed regularly in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific

Islander community, assisting in the Obesity Management Project Kaleponi PILI ‘Ohana,

becoming IRB certified for collecting CBPR data, and attending lectures with Hawaiian and

Pacific Island cultural practitioners.

I was involved in a series of activities throughout my involvement in PIHP, Pacific Islander

Health Partnership. Initially joining PIHP I began collecting nutritional information on fast food

eateries. I also attending board meetings at the PIHP office in order to introduce myself and get

familiar with the organizations members. The Hawaiian community “Meet & Greet” Papa Ola

Lokahi, Naïve Hawaiian Healthsystem, Hawai’i stood out to me the most. I felt very appreciative

of the chance to meet a various members in the network of Hawaiian health advocators. The

meeting lasted for five hours, and there were special guests who flew from Hawaii to attend.

Individuals ranged from non-profit to policy reform. I also had the pleasure of attending a couple

lectures at Springfield College with Hawaiian cultural practitioners, and some lectures at the

PIHP office such as from the EWC (Every Woman Counts) and the One-e-app training intro

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lecture. One of the main activities I was involved in was Aloha Seniors, where PIHP offers hula,

music, and crafts at the Senior Center in Huntington. Through Aloha Seniors I was able to

participate in hula, multiple cultural days, Hawaiian music, and multiple Hawaiian influenced

crafts. Through Aloha Seniors I presented my nutritional information, joined hikes with seniors

in the mornings, and lead the fieldtrip to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Previously I had worked

the International Children’s Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific for PIHP, so I was familiar

with the staff. PIHP’s involvement at the International Children’s Festival included a few tables

with traditional Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander games, tattoos “kakua” (which were

stamps), and demonstrating/ teaching how to make tealeaf roses and leis. I also attending a skit

that the Aquarium offered tailored to kids, on taking care of the ocean. While I tried to involve

myself in a series of diverse activities these are the main ones, and in addition I look forward to

volunteering at the 2-day Pacific Islander Festival in September.

The overall experience was positive, enlightening, educational, and fulfilling. I truly enjoyed all

the members of the PIHP organization, other cultural practitioners, and members of Aloha

Seniors. This was by far the highlight of my experience. The culture is one that showers Aloha,

and accepted me as family immediately. They greet one another with hugs not handshakes and

have such compassion and pride for their community and traditions. I respect their culture even

more now then I did, and was taken back at how much kindness they have to give. Creating a

network with the Aquarium of the Pacific was the second highlight of this experience. I have

always had a passion for the ocean and felt fortunate to have been able to participate in their

activities, as well as future ones to come.

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My internship experience has monumentally prepared me better for a career in the health science

field. This was not the experience I expected to have; it was one that required far more

independency, initiative, organization, and creativity. Although this made the process more

challenging, I am thankful to my agency supervisor for having trust in me and giving me

responsibilities that pushed me to excel. I am proud of my work at PIHP, and so I will take that

confidence in the job application process and throughout the rest of my career. I now have a

better understanding of how fast paced the health field is, from extending ones education, to

keeping in touch with what other organizations and businesses are doing. This experience has

helped myself grow and mature, and has lead me further down the path I desired. It has also

helped me see my passion for working close with communities. Truthfully, I was feeling

nervous about finding a job in the health field and starting from scratch, wondering if I had

learned enough and if I was ready. Working with PIHP has helped my self-assurance and makes

me more comfortable to look for a job, knowing that I have knowledge to pull from my

experiences. I also know that I can go to my agency supervisor for any guidance and I am very

appreciative of that.

PIHP demonstrated excellent professionalism, a pleasurable work environment, vast educational

resources, and impressive organizational members. I have no negative comments, just motivation

to continue my relationship with them. My agency supervisor had limited contact with me; I

initiated communication for the most part. However, this was not a problem for me once I

understood her schedule and activities. I appreciated the work environment; especially that

PIHP’s office is part of an office building of all non-profit organizations. This allowed me to

gain knowledge about other non-profit organizations serving my neighboring communities.

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Overall, I was impressed with everybody’s experience and knowledge in the health field and that

collaborate with one another to also learn more and grow.

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experience summary

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