Meet Our Fall 2025–Summer 2026 Interns

Over the past year, International HELP’s interns have played an important role in supporting Community Health Workers around the world. From training development and grant research to health education content and project preparation, these students have helped strengthen and expand IHELP’s work across multiple countries. We are excited to introduce the individuals who have been serving alongside us from Fall 2025 through Summer 2026.

Leah Toomey: Fall 2025

“My name is Leah Toomey, and I am an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health. At BUSPH, my major is in Community Assessment, Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (CAPDIE) with an emphasis in Global Health. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but am now an official resident of Boston! Back in PA, I attended Muhlenberg College, where I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience while on the pre-med track. Between my passion for public health and healthcare, I aim to work globally and provide relief work. In my spare time, I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, baking, and playing video games!”

Leah played a foundational role in launching International HELP’s new Train the Trainer (TTT) program, designed to equip existing Community Health Workers (CHWs) to train future CHW groups in their own communities. Starting the program completely from scratch, Leah spent her internship conducting extensive research and assessment work, including an annotated bibliography, CHW surveys and feedback summaries, a logic model, SWOT analysis, and sustainability planning. She also helped create the framework for the program by developing core competencies, lesson plan drafts, monitoring and evaluation tools, and practical training resources. Leah’s work laid the groundwork for a program that will help expand the long-term impact and sustainability of our CHW network. Since completing her internship, Leah has graduated with her MPH and accepted a job in Boston.

Julia Komarnicki: Spring 2026

“Julia Komarnicki is a senior at Liberty University pursuing a degree in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Promotion. She is passionate about protecting, educating, and empowering individuals to live healthier lives. Her goal is to make a meaningful impact on individuals and their communities.”

Throughout her internship, Julia supported a wide variety of projects and became especially involved in content creation and training development. She helped create scenarios and interactive activities for our Advanced First Aid Training, while also assisting with the creation, review, and finalization of health education handouts used by Community Health Workers in the field. In addition to training support, Julia contributed to grant research and other behind-the-scenes organizational projects. Following graduation from Liberty University, Julia is spending the summer in Columbus, Ohio, serving as a missions intern with a local church, where she will help with Vacation Bible School, CARE Week outreach, partnerships with local ministries, and a two-week trip to Cambodia working with orphanages.

Sarah Wittich: Spring 2026

“Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Wittich, and I am pursuing a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Population Health Management at the University of Florida. I am passionate about addressing health disparities and working to strengthen programs that support underserved communities. I am eager to continue developing my skills in project management, program evaluation, and population health strategy, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a powerful team at IHELP!”

Sarah continued to build on the strong foundation established for International HELP’s Train the Trainer (TTT) program by expanding and developing many of the program’s educational materials. Working from the outlines and framework already created, Sarah focused primarily on creating detailed module handouts and refining training resources in preparation for a pilot launch planned for Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. In addition to her work on the TTT program, Sarah assisted with editing advanced first-aid handouts, flowchart development, Spanish translation support, lesson planning for ongoing CHW monthly meetings, and grant research. Since completing her internship, Sarah has graduated with her MPH and plans to continue serving with International HELP as a volunteer throughout Summer 2026, continuing her work on the TTT program and supporting other organizational needs as she pursues a long-term career in Global Public Health.

Hazel Silverstein: Summer 2026

“Hello! My name is Hazel Silverstein, and I am thrilled to be joining the IHELP team this summer! I am a rising junior from Elon University studying Public Health and International & Global Studies. I am passionate about community empowerment in global health and hope to pursue international work and an MPH after graduation. I love to travel, learn about new cultures and cuisine, and spend time with the people I love. I look forward to working with a nonprofit grounded in such an important mission and gaining experience in nonprofit-based global health work.”

Hazel is joining International HELP for Summer 2026 and will play an important role in supporting assessment and preparation work for our Uganda projects. As International HELP prepares for three separate CHW trainings in three different regions of Uganda, Hazel will assist with research, community assessment, and trip preparation to help ensure the trainings are successful and tailored to each community’s needs. In addition to assessment work, she will also support miscellaneous organizational tasks, including grant research and potential social media content creation. We are excited to have Hazel join the team during this busy and impactful season of growth.

Callie Rieder: Summer 2026

“Hi! My name is Callie Rieder, and I’m so excited to be joining the IHELP team this summer. I recently graduated from James Madison University, where I majored in International Affairs with a concentration in International Conflict and Security and minored in French. I’m passionate about the world, but more specifically, sustainable development, and connecting with communities to create meaningful impact. I’m really looking forward to learning more about global health education and contributing to IHELP’s mission throughout the summer!”

Callie is joining International HELP for Summer 2026 and will support a variety of projects across multiple areas of the organization. Her work will include helping with research and beginning community assessments for a future Community Health Worker training project in Nicaragua, as well as assisting with translation support for International HELP’s Haiti virtual project. In addition, Callie will contribute to grant research and help create health education content both for Community Health Workers and for International HELP’s social media platforms. We are excited to have Callie supporting several growing areas of IHELP’s global health initiatives this summer.