Meet the interns who supported International HELP from Fall 2025 through Summer 2026 through training development, grant research, health education content creation, and global project preparation.

Meet International HELP’s Summer 2025 interns! Learn how Jude and Milla are advancing global health through new WASH training materials, program evaluations, partnership development, and grant research.

This semester, our interns are taking on several important projects to expand and support our community health worker (CHW) initiatives. Fatima and Monica are each conducting community assessments, one in Charlotte, NC, and the other in Entebbe, Uganda, to prepare for new CHW trainings in early 2025. They’ll be using tools like key informant interviews, focus groups, logic models, and SWOT analyses to guide their efforts. Jenny is focused on sustainability, supporting our existing CHW groups by developing monthly meeting handouts and agendas, revamping our sustainability plan, and improving our Spanish training materials. Natalie is creating a general assessment and evaluation process for our advanced nutrition certifications and updating our nutrition training materials, while Sam is revamping our assessment process for advanced maternal health certifications and implementing it in Uganda to support an upcoming training.

We are so grateful for this amazing team of interns! Meet each of them below to learn more about their backgrounds and what drives their passion for global health.

Fatima Deleon

I am a Senior Health major with a minor in biology & psychology at UTRGV and will be graduating this December. Originally, I am from Brownsville, Texas and one interesting fact about me is I love to bake and am constantly trying new recipes, for this past Thanksgiving I perfected a key lime pie recipe. I thank the Great British Bake Off for my love of baking. Hopefully, I will make a coconut pie for next Thanksgiving, but we shall see. I have a mountain of thriller books I need to read soon, I have quite the book buying addiction. My current side job is at Uber, which surprisingly does not pay well and generally relies heavily on tips. My future plans after completing my degree in health, I will continue here at UTRGV to obtain my master’s degree in mental health counseling, which is very near and dear to my heart. Some other fun facts are I have a four-year-old crazy orange cat whom I love very much and was a rescue, he is now very spoiled and on a medical diet. He is a skilled killer of all types of stuffed animals from PetSmart and or Target and has recently taken to howling at the neighborhood cats, I am not sure if they are his friends or enemies. I look forward to starting this internship and working with you!

Jenny Alvarado

I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Public Health and Human Ecology. During this internship, I will be in my second year at UT Health Houston, where I am pursuing a Master of Public Health in Community Health Practice. After obtaining this degree, I intend to enroll in a physician assistant program and apply my public health knowledge as a practicing provider. In my free time, I enjoy baking, reading, and spending time with my family. 

Monica Bagous

My name is Monica Bagous, and I am passionate about public health, particularly in disease prevention. I hold an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and am currently pursuing my Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Health Promotion. As an Egyptian, I have a deep connection to my hometown and dream of contributing to disease prevention efforts there. I believe that if we have knowledge about something, we have a responsibility to share and educate others, breaking the cycle of preventable health issues. I am committed to empowering communities and improving healthcare systems globally through education and collaboration.

Natalie Lezcano

My name is Natalie Lezcano and I am a second-year Master of Public Health student at the University of Florida. I am a proud double Gator-in-progress as I also received my bachelors in Health Education from UF. In addition to my internship, I also work full-time as a Wellness Coordinator for UF Health, helping fellow employees learn how to prioritize their health and well-being. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, playing with my dog Nasa, and building LEGOs. 

Sam Good

My name is Sam and I am an MPH student studying Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Boston University. As a researcher in both chronic and infectious disease pathology, I value International HELP’s commitment to curbing the spread of preventable disease through global health education. During my time as an MPH practicum intern, I hope to contribute useful education materials and thorough program evaluations for the development of sustainable global education programs.

This spring we have 2 incredible new interns joining us for the semester! Olatunde will be helping us develop an advanced training to further educate, empower, and equip our Community Health Workers we have previously trained. Galia will be helping us with our social media accounts to reach a larger audience and share our mission with more people, as well as using analytics to track our interactions and engagement. We also have 2 volunteers joining us as well! Sarah will be working on an advanced maternal health training assessment, and Casee will be improving our training materials. See below what they will be focusing on in more detail, and learn about who they are!

Olatunde (Ola): He will be developing an advanced first aid training, similar to our advanced maternal health and nutrition trainings we have done in the past. He will be creating a first aid certification that covers topics that go beyond what we teach in the initial CHW training on first aid.

Galia: She will be doing more than just creating social media content, she will also be researching the best methods on how to use different platforms and how to expand our reach. Using our analytics on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms she will help us engage more with our followers and cater our posts to what people like to see the most.

Sarah: She will focus on helping develop an assessment tool for our advanced maternal health certification.

Casee: She will help improve our training materials by adding more practical information for pain management, first aid, and general care based on her physical therapy knowledge and expertise.

Olatunde Oladipupo

I was born in Nigeria and am currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a focus on Epidemiology at the University of Texas Health School of Public Health in Houston. As an International Medical graduate, my goal is to become a Family Physician in the USA. I am deeply committed to utilizing my expertise in Public Health to improve the well-being of underserved communities and enhance the overall health of the population, extending my impact beyond the patients I will care for in the clinic.

Outside of my professional endeavors, I have a strong passion for English Premier League soccer. During my free time, I relish spending quality moments with my wife and children outdoors, enjoying the beauty of the world around us.

Galia Yonaty 

Hi, My name is Galia Yonaty. I am studying graphic design and digital marketing at Santa Monica College. In my free time, I enjoy reading and baking. The organization’s crucial mission of educating communities on treating preventable diseases resonates with me deeply. In my role as a social media intern, I am eager to amplify and share the impactful work that International Help does.

Sarah Poirier

Hi my name is Sarah! I am in the second year of my MPH program at Saint Louis University, COE and I am concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. I have spent the last 9 months working on pre-assessment work with Title V at Vermont’s State Health Department. I am very excited to be working with IHELP for my capstone project and to have the opportunity to have an impact globally. I am passionate about reducing maternal mortality and closing the healthcare gap for historically marginalized communities. I enjoy hiking, trying new coffee shops, and traveling. I’m excited to join the IHELP team!

Casee Yarborough

Hello! My name is Casee. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training and I currently work in injury prevention for airplane mechanics. I am excited to pass along my first aid and healthcare knowledge for the important work that IHELP is doing across the world. When I’m not working, I love being outside, especially if it’s sunny. I am from Fernandina Beach, Florida so I love anything to do with the water: surfing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming. On a similar note, I also love to exercise. Some of my favorite ways to stay fit are through weightlifting, yoga, or a team sport, like basketball, soccer, or flag football.

This spring we have 5 incredible new interns joining our team. They will be helping us research for our upcoming projects in Guyana, El Salvador, and Honduras. Here is a list of what each intern will be focusing on this spring semester.

Nevin: Developing and finalizing our advanced certification in nutrition and first aid

Ayodele: Guyana and Curacao: Program planning for 2 new community projects.

Adriana: El Salvador: Program planning for new community project and translation.

Joyce: El Salvador: Program planning for advanced certification with current CHW’s in nutrition. Also, helping with translation and being the point of contact for a few of our current CHW groups

Erin: Honduras: Program planning for a new community project.

Nevin Varghese  

Nevin Varghese is a physician from Texas who enjoys patient care and teaching medicine. He considers himself an
educator and believes that the advancement of global health depends on education and research involving all levels of society. He is also completing Master of Public Health at Benedictine University, a strong interest he developed during the Covid pandemic. The MPH program focuses on health policy, epidemiology, social and behavioral aspects of health, medical ethics, public health education, health and environment, biostatistics, and research methods. He believes that this path will help in advancing global healthcare and eliminate health disparities. Nevin is currently doing an Internship/Practicum with International Help through which he aims to improve global health needs in Central America. Besides medicine, you would find him learning new languages and exploring new cultures. He enjoys watching international movies and documentaries and reading about the universe and space exploration.

Ayodele Tyndall 

Ayodele Tyndall is a Master of Public Health student with a concentration in Nutrition at Liberty University. She is passionate about community education and nutrition intervention. Her interests in disease prevention through good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits. Her goal is to equip individuals in the community with the knowledge to choose and live healthily.

Adriana Araica 

Adriana Araica was born in Managua, Nicaragua. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health from George Mason University, with a concentration in Global Health. While completing her studies she worked at a small nonprofit dental organization, servicing the indigent population of Northern Virginia. As a Community Health worker for the Fairfax County Health Department, she aided clients to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, she works as a family assistance worker, providing resources to the residents of Fairfax County, as well as finalizing her MPH studies. During her free time, she enjoys reading, watching documentaries, and spending time with her chihuahua, family, and friends.

Joyce Gonzalez 

My name is Joyce Gonzalez. I am originally from New York and have a big family as one of 8 siblings. I am a Navy veteran with over 15 years of navy service. I married a fellow sailor, and we have two beautiful boys, Sebastian (4) and Gabriel (7). I work for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, issuing permits and clearances for wastewater collection systems.   I am currently in the final year of my MPH at the University of Nevada Reno. I enjoy playing video games, reading, and spending quality time with my family in my spare time.

Erin Bates 

Erin Bates is a dentist in upstate New York with a background in private practice dentistry and an interest in global health. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia, she attended the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry. Erin completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and then returned to her home state of Missouri to practice. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health through Liberty University with the aim of utilizing ongoing continuing education to augment her dental practice and enter the academic realm in the future. She is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and the American College of Dentists and enjoys having the opportunity to travel, spending time with her husband, and adventuring in the great outdoors with her dog.

Hello 2023! We are so grateful for all of our 2022 interns. We had a total of nine new interns join the team, as well as a few that stayed with us from previous semesters. We wanted to give you the opportunity to learn more about the people who made this past year possible. With their help we were able to complete nine projects, training over 140 Community Health Workers in El Salvador, Syria, Honduras, and Zimbabwe! Once again we want to say a big thank you and highlight our awesome interns

Fatou Cisse 

My name is Fatou, and I am an MPH student at the University of Miami. My experience consists of 10+ years of non-profit public health experience. My interests are in epidemiology and program development. I became interested in the field by observing inequities in underserved communities along with low levels of health literacy and its effects on the population’s disease conditions and overall health.  I have been involved in founding and consulting a non-profit foundation, supporting community-based programs, and using research data to plan and execute community interventions in underserved populations.

Ashley Richard 

My name is Ashley, and I am studying for my Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health at Saint Louis University. I am passionate about partnering with communities to improve health and well-being, from the people’s perspective. I am excited to join the International HELP team!

Bobongile Nkala

My name is Babongile Blisset Nkala. I am a Registered Nurse and Master of Science in Public Health degree (MPH) candidate. I have vast experience working in TB & HIV research projects in Eswatini and Sierra Leone. I have worked within a variety of settings with diverse contexts thereby, providing me with valuable experiences. I am passionate about working closely with communities in countries with limited resources and various health system gaps to provide sustainable solutions.

Kelda Lee

I am an MPH Candidate at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at GWU. I am also working part-time as a Public Health & Community Development Consultant in Maputo, Mozambique where I currently live.

Kaitlyn Mikalic

Currently, I am a graduate student at Arcadia University in Philadelphia completing a dual MPH and MMS degree. I graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2020 with an undergraduate degree in Health Science. Personally, I enjoy the beach, listening to podcasts, and writing in my planner. Throughout my time in Orlando, I worked and volunteered for various organizations and health care clinics. I found my passion for public health through these experiences as I recognized just how important it is to not only treat diseases acutely but also take an upstream approach to understand the root of the problems people are experiencing. During the first few semesters of my MPH degree, my favorite classes were program planning and communications and through these classes, I’ve gained the knowledge and skills to create communication materials and programs that promote positive health behavior changes. I am very excited to put my new skills to work this spring and to learn even more from my new internship with International HELP. 

Djenabou Diallo

My name is Djenabou Diallo, an MPH in Epidemiology student at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston at the San Antonio Regional Campus. I am originally from Guinea but moved to the United States in 2009. The health and science field has always been an interest of mine from a young age. I was fortunate to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) for my undergraduate studies and earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology there. My undergraduate studies helped me hone in on microbiology and infectious diseases as my fields of interest. After a semester at UTSA graduate program in Microbiology and Immunology, I decided to pursue my master’s in public health. I hope to find my professional fulfilment in the public health field as an infectious disease epidemiologist that intersects research knowledge and advancement with everyday health measures and practice for the betterment of people’s health; be it locally or globally. My hobbies include cooking, visiting parks and museums, sleeping, and volunteering. As a practicum intern with an organization like International HELP who seeks to educate, empower, and equip future health leaders to serve their communities; I wish to take my first steps in public health practice learning as much as I can with a powerful mission and vison centered around sustainability and the communities I serve.    

Riley Connelly

Hi! My name is Riley, and I am a sophomore at Saint Louis University studying Public Health, International Studies, and Spanish. I hope to pursue an MPH in the future with concentrations in Global Health and Biosecurity/Disaster Preparedness. I am passionate about disease prevention, and I am so excited to work with this incredible organization to do just that! In my free time, I enjoy exploring coffee shops, taking outdoor walks, and reading.

Joanna Herrera

My name is Joanna Herrera, new intern for International Help. I have been a Registered Nurse for over 18 years and work in Los Angeles. I grew up in the Northern Virginia area. This is my last year in my Masters in Public Health degree in American Public University System. I love art, traveling, barre, nature walks, and writing.

Alicia Etwaru

Hi! My name is Alicia Etwaru and I am an MPH intern at International HELP. I studied Health Sciences on a pre-med track during undergrad where I was exposed to the field of public health. I am currently completing my 2nd year of the MPH program with a concentration in Urban Health at Northeastern University. I am passionate about community and global health with hopes to improve the health status of underserved communities. I look forward to working with International HELP as we learn from various cultures while educating and empowering individuals to take charge of their health. 

This year, we have been able to provide three training sessions for Community Health Workers (CHWs) and we have two more on the schedule before 2022 is over! Here is a brief rundown of what we’ve accomplished this year and what’s still to come:

January – Guarnecia and Chilcuyo, El Salvador: Trained 27 CHWs

March – Syria: Trained 10 CHWs virtually

June – Bendicion de Dios and La Y Griega, El Salvador: Trained 23 CHWs

November – Gracias a Dios & El Zamarano, Honduras: Trained 55 CHWs

December – Urban & Rural Gwanda, Zimbabwe: Training an estimated 40 CHWs 

If all goes as planned, at the end of 2022 we will have trained in four countries and have roughly 155 new CHW’s. We couldn’t have done it without you. You helped educate, empower and equip. 

Thank you for supporting International Help and making 2022 such an impactful year! 

Health Worker Trainings Change Individuals & Communities

All of our Community Health Workers have extremely grateful hearts and we want to share their appreciation with you! At IHELP we believe in transparency and we want you to be able to see how your donations have impacted the lives of others. See Gustavo’s incredible testimony below. 

“First I would like to thank God for allowing me to be part of this Community Health Worker team. On these days, Saturday and Sunday, we have had the opportunity to learn and further our understanding of maternal health. A huge thank you to the people who made this type of event possible because we know you contributed financially and supported this excellent [IHELP] team. This is beneficial to each of us as CHWs as we want to provide help to those who need it most, and in this case, that would be pregnant women from their first month [of pregnancy] until after their baby is born. For us to be able to receive this knowledge is very important because we are willing to help, and why not take advantage of and give thanks to God for this opportunity? Thank you to the people who are able to contribute financially and support this excellent team of Monterey, her husband, and Amber. We are very thankful for receiving so much information that we have here [in our minds]. We had so much fun. This is not the first time we are part of this project and we hope in the future there are even better opportunities and we can continue filling [our minds] with more knowledge to be able to continue helping those who need it the most. Thank you so much and many blessings!”

Help is Needed

Giving Tuesday is a movement that encourages people to unleash generosity. It was created to show people that you do not need to be a millionaire to have an impact. Whatever you are willing to offer will be received by grateful hands and used to change lives. Every year Giving Tuesday is held the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. So as you reflect on all that you are grateful for, think of how grateful you could make someone else. Without your support our trainings would not be possible. 

By joining the other 35 million Giving Tuesday donors you will be giving the real gift that keeps on giving. Not only will you be joining a powerful movement, you will help us reach our 2022 fundraising goals that make Community Health Worker training projects possible! 

This November and December we are traveling to Honduras, Zimbabwe, and are finalizing plans for 2023. We need your help! Our goal this Giving Tuesday is to raise $25,000 to fund our 2023 projects in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guyana. And to help us reach that goal, we had a generous donor offer a $5,000 match! Remember that you can contribute any way you feel fitting. Whether that’s money donations, volunteering, medical or office supplies, airline miles, or simply shopping on Amazon Smile. So please join us for GT 2022 and unleash generosity! 

Unleash your generosity today and click here to see multiple ways you can give a monetary donation https://linktr.ee/ihelpdonate

In June 2017, 16 Community Health Workers (CHWs) were trained in the city of Texistepeque, El Salvador through Oasis de Gracia Iglesia. In 2019, the community partner and IHELP decided to expand the project to reach the rural caserios (villages) surrounding Texistepeque. However, COVID-19 put that plan on hold. It wasn’t until this past spring that IHELP was able to fully start the project again.

As I started my internship in May, this new project became my top priority, as it is one of the largest projects IHELP has taken on. After meeting with a community leader, we learned that 48 potential caserios are looking to participate in the CHW training. To ensure these future CHWs are trained effectively, I have spent the last two months researching Texistepeque, analyzing community assessments, developing project plans, working through program evaluations, and compiling the training curriculum.

Since COVID-19 is still a very present global issue, the CHW training will likely not occur until January 2022. However, these next 5 months will allow us to build our project capacity to meet the needs of this vast project. By putting in the time now, we can ensure all CHWs are effectively trained to end preventable diseases throughout the rural caserios of Texistepeque. I look forward to spending the remaining time of my internship on this project and doing my part to further the mission of IHELP.

– Madeleine Burkholder, MPH Intern, Saint Louis University

International HELP’s mission is to  “educate, empower, and equip people in need to be health leaders in their community.” We do this by traveling to different places in need and training local volunteers to be community health workers who spread their knowledge and resources to help those around them. However, before we get on a plane and travel to a different country, we must be prepared and knowledgeable about what is happening there, what their needs are, and what resources they already have. To help us understand these aspects of the country, we conduct thorough research to create a country profile that includes information about the country’s demographics, health statistics, and health practices.

When creating a country profile, it is broad enough to be related to the entire country rather than one specific area. This is intentional so that the country profile can be used for multiple projects in different regions of the country. We later gather community-specific data to further concentrate on the issues of that specific community. The broadness of the country profile allows us to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the country as a whole while also being able to make important decisions related to training programs. For example, it is beneficial to know if a country has a wet and dry season to ensure that our organization and community members traveling from other areas can make it into the rural community that we are heading to without barriers such as flooding. This is just one example of how profiling a country allows us to create a training program that is the best fit for the community.

Another crucial aspect of a country profile is that it helps us better understand the people of the country. As an organization, we aim to work alongside the community members while being sensitive to their culture and still addressing their needs. When creating the profile, we consider factors such as cultural practices, superstitious beliefs, and religions. This is important because we never want to be disrespectful or harmful to a community; understanding these factors before working with them allows us to do our best to create positive partnerships and build rapport. As an organization, we aim to create a training program that is appropriate and as beneficial as possible for the community so that it can be sustainable and change the course of the community for the better and this starts by ensuring that we know as much about the country as we possibly can.

– Joslyn Solomon, Intern