HAC and what do I want to do with my life?!

I’m currently interning at Health Access Connect for 3 months through a study and work abroad program called Insight Global Education. My coursework as a Global Public Health and History major at NYU has sparked an intense curiosity in me and has called me to a career in social impact. The study of public health is interdisciplinary and covers diverse sectors including health sciences, statistics, environmental health, business, policy, and much more. I’m on a journey of discovering not only which areas best suits my interests, but I am also devoted to discovering where I can have the most impact. At Health Access Connect, I’ve been given the opportunity to involve myself in a variety of tasks to help the organization and gain more clarity into what careers I might pursue. At a month and half in, I’ve taken an interest in development/fundraising and program management as I’ve witnessed the necessity to support more small community-based nonprofits like Health Access Connect that work to build local capacity.

So what do I actually do?! I spend most days at the HAC office in Kampala learning how to work in various databases and management softwares, including Salesforce, The Non-Profit Leadership Lab, Grant Station, and Asana. Managing a small and growing organization is not easy! Kevin Gibbons and I then figure out how we can use these tools to improve HAC’s ability to fundraiser, oversee staff, and serve people in the remote communities where we work. Intermixed with this are field visits to the communities were HAC works, various small administrative tasks, social media management, and attending networking meetings. I’ve even been able to work on my first grant application, and I’m loving it! I’m learning so much working at HAC, and I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to find my passion so I can have a successful and well thought out career. I’ve got another month and a half left in Kampala and I can’t wait to see what else is to come!