By: Janice Zha
Today is the last day of my second and final Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health internship. I start to reflect on my experiences during this time. Being a pre-med student, I have mainly STEM classes on my schedule. I took a few sociology classes and Gender and Sexuality Studies classes in the Liberal Arts realm. Working as an intern with Planned Parenthood is a novel experience that I’m so grateful to have. This internship allows me to look at the healthcare industry at a different angle other than being potential healthcare professional. It allows me to learn more about the administrative and legislative work behind Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast’s health center. The work that the communication team or the strategic department does is essential to provide patients with the best quality of care.
During my internship, I met Kristin Emmet as my supervisor. She has been extraordinarily supportive and patient to me. It’s was an enjoyable experience working with people who share the same passion for reproductive rights and reproductive health as me. I worked with her on lobbying for women’s health in Louisiana by sending letters to Louisiana’s senates and representatives. I also canvassed for the time in my life with her support. During the two semesters of internship, I also tabled in the health center to promote awareness of reproductive health and the importance of voting. 
With all the tasks I did during the internship, I learned about all the hard work the communication team did behind a campaign. They are working differently than health professionals who support reproductive health. Their work is critical to raise people’s awareness of reproductive rights and reproductive health and to support the policies that benefit the community. At the same time, push back against the policies that hurt the health of the community.
I appreciate this opportunity to intern with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. It helps me to find my career goal of becoming an OB/GYN. It also helps me to gain a meaningful understanding of reproductive justice rather than just reading its definition from the book. Working with people on the front line of defending reproductive justice and talking to people in the community taught me the most current issues about reproductive justice and health.