Five student interns from the Departments of Health Sciences, and Health Care Administration worked with CHER staff during the fall 2015 semester, gaining valuable experience in health equity research and program implementation. Undergraduates Cristina Limon, Laura Medina, Annie Nak, & Yestie Salazar, and graduate student Melissa Shimizu assisted in a variety of research projects and tasks that included the collection and management of interview and survey data, interview transcription, programming and analysis using SPSS, NVivo and other research tools, and assisting with other program management activities.
Several CHER projects benefit from the effort of interns. Data management support was provided to the Building Healthy Communities (BHCLB) project, an evaluation of a ten-year initiative funded by The California Endowment (TCE) designed to develop a collaborative structure with residents, community-based organizations, and government leaders. Interns conducted interviews and collected data for CalGRIP6 and CalGRIP7, part of the Gang Reduction and Intervention Project which targets at-risk youth and trafficking prevention. They also helped to prepare for the launch of a newly funded project sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) targeting substance use, and testing for HIV and Hepatitis C.
As a part of its mission, CHER provides research opportunities and experience for CSULB students interested in health equity and health disparities research. Since its founding, CHER has benefited from the effort, enthusiasm, and insights or student interns and volunteers.
"I enjoyed doing data collection because I was able to interact with Long Beach residents and learn more about their involvement and experiences with our different partnerships. It was nice to come across their surveys and put a face to their name. Meeting some of the Long Beach residents made my time at CHER enjoyable and impactful," said Ms. Medina.
Ms. Shimizu echoed her enthusiasm adding, “I’ve enjoyed entering, coding, and validating data, as well as working with [SPSS] syntax. I've learned a lot and appreciate CHER for all their help.”
Ms. Limon added, “As an intern at CHER I was able to work on various projects from research, to conducting surveys and even dabbled in grant writing, each task required different skill sets but ultimately had the same final goal of improving the lives of the community. I now have a better understanding of the work, dedication and collaboration needed in this field, and am grateful to have been a part of it.”
Individuals interested in internships at CHER may email inquiries to CSULB-CHER@csulb.edu.