The Global Health Studies (GHS) program at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences opens doors for students passionate about making a difference locally and globally. Students complete internships as part of their capstone experience, gaining practical training that prepares them for careers in health care, public policy, community outreach, and beyond.
Each semester, students intern with organizations such as the Florida Department of Health, International Rescue Committee, Dade Legal Aid, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Hope for Miami, applying what they have learned in the classroom to real-world health challenges.
“The success of the GHS capstone, and the reason why our partner organizations happily welcome our students back again and again, is a direct result of the hard work, passion, and dedication of the GHS students,” said Anna Arango, director of the GHS program, who oversees the capstone projects.
Senior Kerrigan Wesley, who is majoring in GHS and minoring in entrepreneurship, spent her summer interning with Hope for Miami, a local non-profit which provides children and youth with afterschool, mental health, and risky behavior prevention programs to help them build positive, healthy futures. She worked under the organization’s Project Bridge initiative, which focuses on youth mental health.
Kerrigan Wesley, center, at a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce event as part of her Hope for Miami internship.
Her role spanned outreach, social media, education, and grant writing. She also assisted with event planning, including preparations for the organization’s annual fall gala, and participated in youth mental health first aid training.
“There is only one program coordinator for Project Bridge,” Wesley explained, “so she relies heavily on interns. I was doing a variety of things throughout my time interning.”
Wesley said that the internship not only developed her professional skills but also showed her the tangible impact of community mental health advocacy.
“It was something new every day,” she said. “It was a great internship. I would highly recommend it.”
Audlyn Emmanuel, a junior double majoring in health science and GHS, interned this past summer at the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, working with the Community Health Action Team, which offers free health screenings. This internship experience helped her solidify her plans to attend medical school and build a career in public health leadership.
“We had the opportunity to go to libraries and do health screenings: BMI, glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol,” she said. “And if anything was out of the norm, we were able to give them a referral. Being able to help people learn more about themselves is essentially what I want to do later in my life.”
Emmanuel also created her own health initiative, Heart Over Habit, that addresses the cardiovascular effects of tobacco use.
“I am very passionate about cardiovascular health because I come from a long line of people with heart disease,” she said. “A lot of people think tobacco only harms the lungs, but it has so many effects on your heart that get overlooked.”
One of the most powerful parts of the internship, she shared, was seeing youth collaborate through tobacco prevention programs like Students Working Against Tobacco.
“It was impactful to see so many children from Miami-Dade come together to support one cause and be recognized for their efforts,” Emmanuel said.
While the capstone internship is a graduation requirement for GHS majors, both students emphasized how transformative the experience can be if students truly embrace it.
“This is the time where you are figuring out what you like and what you don’t like,” Emmanuel explained. “You can learn a lot about the field and a lot about yourself.”
For Wesley, the program’s mentorship model was key. “There were global health students before me that paved the way,” she said. “And we kind of do that for each other.”
To celebrate the students’ achievements and showcase their work, the GHS program hosts an end-of-semester Capstone Showcase. As part of the event, students present their projects to faculty and peers, giving younger GHS students the opportunity to explore future internship opportunities. This year’s showcase will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6–8 p.m. in the Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Science.
As the GHS internship program continues to expand with new local partnerships, the goal remains the same: to empower students to create impact by applying what they are learning at the University to hands-on work experiences. From mental health advocacy to preventative care to public health education, GHS students are already shaping the future of community well-being one internship at a time.
