This summer, I am serving as a communications (policy) intern at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the Frank Karel Fellowship for Public Interest Communications. Throughout this experience, I have gained valuable insight into philanthropy, strategic communications, and public health while supporting communications and policy initiatives. Every day has introduced me to new people, new projects, and a deeper understanding of the work that happens behind the scenes to create meaningful change.
Before joining the Foundation, my understanding of philanthropy was limited. As a student leader, I often reached out to foundations, simply asking for funding. I now realize that philanthropy is much more than writing checks. It is about strategically investing in organizations and ideas that improve health, expand opportunity, and strengthen communities. Seeing how the Foundation works alongside grantees and partners has completely changed my perspective.
One of my primary projects this summer has been supporting the One Nation Overcharged campaign, a community-led effort advocating for more affordable health care. Working on this campaign has shown me how communications, policy, research, and advocacy come together to move important issues forward. My role focuses on reviewing communications materials from talking points and briefs to presentations, press releases, and event messaging — to ensure complex policy information is clear, engaging, and accessible to different audiences.
One of the most rewarding parts of this internship has been learning from Foundation leadership. Weekly conversations with executives from across the organization have given me a better understanding of how different departments collaborate to advance the Foundation’s mission. These experiences have reinforced that meaningful change requires thoughtful strategy, strong partnerships, and effective communication.
As a future communications professional, I hope to continue working at the intersection of communications and policy. This experience has shown me that even the strongest policy ideas cannot create impact if people do not understand them. Communications professionals play a critical role in translating complex information into messages that educate, inspire, and empower communities to act.
This internship has challenged many of my assumptions about philanthropy and strategic communications. I have learned that meaningful change rarely happens overnight; it is built through collaboration, careful planning, and consistent advocacy. Looking back, I entered this experience believing foundations simply funded organizations. Today, I understand that philanthropy is also about building partnerships, shaping strategy, and investing in solutions that create lasting change. This fellowship has strengthened my passion for using communications to advance policy and improve the health and well-being of communities.