YIGH Leadership in Global Health Fellowship program helps students build career skills

A tailor-made internship at the World Bank.

Hand-picked, fully funded work experiences in New York, Geneva, and even Belize.

Purposefully built mentorship and networking opportunities that can supercharge early careers.

For Yale students who participate in the Leadership in Global Health Fellowship program, these summer experiences are more than mere possibilities. They are essential parts of the Yale Institute for Global Health’s dedication to helping students from across Yale secure work experiences that can make a difference in their future careers while they explore some of the biggest issues in global health across the world.

Working in partnership with the Global Health Studies Program at the Jackson School for International Affairs and the Yale School of Public Health’s Office of Career Services, the fellowship contributes to the development of future global health leaders by training aspiring young professionals who have a passion for and understanding of the critical importance of good health for a just and equitable society.

“The Leadership in Global Health Fellowship provides an avenue for students to explore their understanding of global health and learn more about leadership in a meaningful way,” said Michael Skonieczny, the Yale Institute for Global Health’s (YIGH) deputy director who oversees the program. “In the long-term, our hope is that Yale students and trainees will forge careers in roles at these organizations that can have an impact on the health of communities around the world.”

Every year, after interviews with YIGH and host organizations, the Leadership in Global Health program matches approximately 12 students with bespoke, three-month internship opportunities that are exclusive to the fellowship. Fellows have historically worked at places like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Program.

Before their work begins, fellows participate in a one-day, in-person orientation meant to build their network and prime them for maximum impact at their host organization. Mentorship throughout the three-month fellowship also helps fellows build their career skills and navigate potential obstacles. Then, at the end of the summer, fellows reconvene for a final gathering.

For Natalia Rovelo-Velazquez, MPH ’24, her experience last summer as a Maternal Newborn Adolescent Health Fellow at UNICEF proved to be a valuable learning and networking opportunity.

At UNICEF, Rovelo-Velazquez had wide latitude to focus on her interests. She joined a team that investigated maternal and caregiver mental health in Belize, conducting field research and focus groups in the country to help inform policy initiatives. Her travels also took her to Colombia, where she helped train health care workers in treating mental health issues among high school students. And when UNICEF needed another set of eyes on a report about teenage pregnancy in Latin America and the Caribbean, Rovelo-Velazquez stepped in to provide the health policy perspective she learned at YSPH.

“I am hopeful that the revisions that I suggested will help policymakers better understand how to create programs across Latin America and the Caribbean regarding teenage pregnancy,” she said. “I found this opportunity at the Yale Institute for Global Health to be very, very helpful. I hope this experience will help me to leverage my skills and my experience toward future jobs in a global health setting.”

Charles Minicucci, MPH ’24, had equally positive takeaways from his time at the World Bank this summer.

Minicucci worked remotely on projects that he said were “right up my alley of interests.” As a Climate and Health Fellow, he conducted literature reviews and refined analytical tools to help the World Bank assess vulnerabilities and risks in low- and middle-income countries. His work with the World Bank also led to a consulting arrangement that he is pursuing for the rest of his graduate studies.

“I’m working on the kind of things I want to be working on, with the kind of organization that I want to be working with, and with some really excellent people,” Minicucci said. “That’s huge for my career.”

After Rovelo-Velazquez, Minicucci, and this year’s 10 other fellows completed their summer internships, they met again in early November to share their experiences. The event also included former PepsiCo Chief Executive Officer and YIGH Advisory Board member Indra Nooyi and her husband Raj. In addition to meeting the students, the Nooyis had the opportunity to share their advice and career experiences. In 2022, the Nooyis provided an endowed gift to enhance the Leadership in Global Health Fellowship program.

“Raj and I were so pleased to meet with and get to know this impressive group of young people,” Indra Nooyi said. “Their passion and energy will have a tremendous impact on the health and wellbeing of communities around the world. This generation will be central to leading and tackling the most pressing issues in global health.”

Applications for next summer’s fellowship will open on February 2, 2024. All applications are due on Feb. 16, 2024.

Rovelo-Velazquez said applicants should not feel intimidated by the big names on the fellowship list. Yale mentors, she said, are there to help students every step of the way.

“For those who think global health is the path for them after graduation, I think this fellowship offers a lot of skills and great opportunities toward reaching that goal,” she said.