From Classroom to Community: Predeparture Reflections on My Grenada Internship
Raksha Rajeshmohan
1st Year MPH Global Health Epidemiology Student
As one of the 2 full-time summer interns from U-M at the Grenada Red Cross Society (GRCS), I will be living in St. George’s, Grenada for 10 weeks this summer. My work will surround evaluating the GRCS’s non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention programs and youth group initiatives, as well as helping to develop a formal engagement protocol for GRCS partnerships. This internship will allow me to move beyond theory—applying the skills I have learned in my classes in a real-world setting, engaging with people on the ground, and seeing firsthand how public health initiatives unfold in a different cultural and institutional context.
Beyond the work itself, I am looking forward to experiencing living in abroad in a new and unfamiliar place. I have read so much about the country’s history, its vibrant culture, and the warmth of its people. I am eager to learn from the community, hear their perspectives, and understand public health challenges through their lens rather than just from reports or data.
Learning Goals and Challenges
I am sure this experience will push me outside my academic comfort zone in many ways, as will whatever work I decide to pursue after graduation. With applying course learning to a real world setting always comes the realization that no textbook or lecture can fully prepare you for working with a community to address a public health issue. A major goal of mine during this internship is to improve my ability to evaluate programs in a way that is both rigorous and practical—making sure that the data I collect and the recommendations I help develop are actually useful to GRCS and its partners. I also want to refine my ability to communicate findings effectively, whether through data visualization, reports, or conversations with stakeholders.
Working in a new country, within an organization that is still figuring out its own program evaluation and communication processes, means there will be uncertainty and trial-and-error. I expect that things will not always go as planned—data might be harder to collect than anticipated, schedules might shift, and priorities might evolve. I have already begun to identify some areas of potential disconnect in regard to “island time”- or the notion that life and work in the Caribbean moves at a much more relaxed pace than in the U.S. Learning to adapt while still staying focused on my core objectives will be key.
Navigating Cultural Differences and Community Engagement
While I have worked in global health settings before, each experience is different, and thus I cannot assume that the tools I used previously will work now. I will be approaching this experience with a mindset of listening first: getting to know the people I am working with, understanding the local context, and building relationships before diving into solutions. I hope to engage with the community in a way that is collaborative and respectful, ensuring that my contributions align with their needs and priorities rather than just what I think would be helpful.