Campbell Foundation Interns
The Duncan & Cindy Campbell Foundation endows the Campbell Risk and Resilience Seminar Series in the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, College of Health, at OSU.
The endowment also supports a paid summer internship at Friends of the Children in Portland for a College of Health graduate student. This organization provides one-on-one paid professional mentoring for at-risk children throughout their elementary and high school years.
Some of the duties of the intern include conducting a telephone survey of over 155 program graduates, managing survey and evaluation data, and completing some data analysis.
Janelle Thalken | 2023 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. Candidate, Kinesiology, Psychosocial Concentration
When did you complete your degree?
TBD
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
I truly enjoyed my internship experience working with Friends of the Children – Portland. Being provided an opportunity to work with a non-profit with such an important mission, and hearing the real-life impact of this program on the children and youth it serves has been a rewarding experience.
Haley Delgado | 2022 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. Candidate in Public Health
When did you complete your degree?
Ph.D. 2020-present.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
I thoroughly enjoyed this internship and all the experiences it had to offer. Although my role mostly involved coordinating data collection, data management and analysis, I was able to experience the multi-sector approaches of Friends of the Children- Portland. I am always amazed by the leadership of non-profits and feel fortunate to have been a part of such an amazing organization. As a first-generation Latina from a low-income background, I always enjoy experiences where I can connect with youth and communities of similar backgrounds.
Deanna Perez | 2021 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. candidate in Kinesiology, psychosocial concentration
When did you complete your degree?
TBD.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
I extend my sincere gratitude to the 10 alumni who were generous enough to share their thoughtful insight with me. These alumni graciously shared their vulnerabilities, happy memories and hopeful goals for the future. For that, I am most appreciative. My sincere thanks goes to Rose Solowski and LaShea Chatman at Friends of the Children. They both took the time to share their goals for the interviews and the report. They articulated what information from alumni would be most helpful for the future of the program. Their insights about the interview protocol and how to best connect with alumni made conducting the interviews possible. I extend my appreciation to them for their time spent meeting with me and contributing to this report. Finally, great appreciation goes to the Duncan and Cindy Campbell Foundation endowment for funding this internship and the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families for selecting me to be the recipient of this generous funding.
Svea Olsen | 2020 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies
When did you complete your degree?
Ph.D. 2021.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Working at Friends of the Children allowed me to interact with the youth participants, the Friends (mentors), staff, and volunteers that work to make FOTC the success that it is today. This has been an eye opening experience for me regarding the way that non-profit organizations function and also the passion expressed by the people who have devoted their lives to the betterment of these children.
I had a fantastic experience in the Summer Research Internship with FOTC Portland. The approach FOTC takes aligns well with research on child and adolescent development, risk and resilience, and critical consciousness. The work I did and the connections I made during this internship were informative and useful for my future career.
Layne Case | 2019 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. in Kinesiology, Adapted Physical Activity
When did you complete your degree?
Ph.D. 2021.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Overall, the Summer Research Internship with Friends of the Children PDX was a fantastic experience, and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to become involved with the program. The FOTC organization aligned well with prominent child development research, and the specific research tasks I was given were insightful and informative for my own future work. I also greatly enjoyed working with Randy, because his leadership and supervision style really encouraged me to seek out what I specifically wanted to learn and gain from my tenure.
Alexis Merculief | 2018 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies
When did you complete your degree?
Ph.D., 2020-present.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
College of Health, Oregon State University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
From my first day at FOTC, I have been impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the organization. Every staff member I have met has been friendly and inviting. The staff is not shy about approaching new folks and wrapping them into the community. It feels very much like a family, and these types of working relationships are extremely rare in today’s society. I have an incredible amount of respect for the mission and values of this organization and truly believe FOTC is making an enormous impact in the lives of children and families. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside FOTC, if only for a few months.
Lindsey Poquette | 2017 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
MPH in Health Promotion and Health Behavior
When did you complete your degree?
Anticipated graduation date June 2018
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
Currently enrolled at OSU completing the second year of my MPH
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Working as an intern for Friends of the Children increased my desire to work in the field of health promotion, specifically with interventions focused on child and adolescent populations. The work of the Friends of the Children organization is a great example of how early interventions can have lasting positive impacts on the lives of individuals.
Jessica Alonso | 2016 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
PhD in Human Development and Family Studies
When did you complete your degree?
Anticipated graduation is June 2020.
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
I will be starting my second year in the PhD program at OSU and working on the Kindergarten Readiness Study.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Working at Friends of the Children allowed me to interact with the youth participants, the Friends (mentors), staff, and volunteers that work to make FOTC the success that it is today. This has been an eye opening experience for me regarding the way that non-profit organizations function and also the passion expressed by the people who have devoted their lives to the betterment of these children.
I feel like this experience has really broadened my horizons and given me perspective on what my graduate research at Oregon State will be benefiting through children’s education. The passion, hard work, and dedication that motivate this organization are similar to the characteristics in an academic setting in several ways. The people, while focused more on direct application and one-to-one interactions see a bigger picture for their youth and communities, develop ideas that are innovative, risky, and bold while remaining humble and positive in the face of daily circumstances.
Danielle A. Warner | 2014 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
When did you complete your degree?
In progress
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
Currently enrolled in the HDFS program at OSU
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
The ten weeks I spent at Friends of the Children helped me understand how an organization like this impacts the community and gave me a first-hand glimpse of how a non-profit is run. Because the program works to mentor youth and keep them in school, my experience there strengthened my existing interest in educational trajectories and outcomes for underprivileged youth. Interning at Friends of the Children also gave me the opportunity to network with individuals who shared my passions, and it helped me understand how my training at OSU can be used outside of academia.
Jill Hoxmeier | 2013 Intern
What degree program are you enrolled in while at OSU?
PhD in Public Health, focusing on Health Behavior and Promotion
When will you complete your degree?
Anticipated graduation is June 2015
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
I will be starting my second year of the PhD program at OSU this fall and I also teach in the Public Health Department at Pacific University.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Interning at Friends of the Children (FOTC) gave me great exposure to collaborative problem solving. I worked with various departments on several projects, specifically compiling research that demonstrates a need for expanding the FOTC's programs to work more with youth in the foster systems, and expanding the program to work with youth beyond 18 years old to promote positive post-secondary outcomes.
I was greatly influenced by this internship in that not only did it broaden my perspective on public health - as mentoring programs can do a great deal to promote health among vulnerable populations - but personally concreted my belief that a job is more than employment, it's a personal reflection of values. The people at FOTC lived the mission of the organization and coming into the office every day was pretty inspiring.
Natalie Teixeira | 2012 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Masters of Public Health - Health Promotion & Health Behavior
When did you complete your degree?
June 2013
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
I am currently finishing up research-related work for Dr. Peggy Dolcini, Director of the Healthy Development for Youth and Young Adults core in the Hallie E. Ford Center, and Dr. Joseph Catania.
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
My internship with Friends of the Children had a huge impact on me. Everyone at the organization was so kind, and the work they do is truly inspiring. The experience really opened my eyes to positive youth development and mentoring research, and provided me with opportunities to apply skills in a meaningful
Andrea Brush | 2011 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
Masters of Public Health - International Health
When did you complete your degree?
March 2012
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
Benton County Health Department, Development Disabilities Program
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
Friends of the Children is a really phenomenal organization. They have three very simple goals and achieve amazing results reaching those goals. Educational success, avoiding the justice system, and avoiding teen parenting should be three things that every child strives for. The success rates that Friends of the Children has seen reaching those goals for the kids is solid proof that mentoring shapes a child's life.
My time at Friends of the Children was instrumental in shaping the way I view mentoring, and influencing the most vulnerable children in our communities. I learned a great deal about the city of Portland and its surrounding areas and how the education system affects nearly every aspect of a child's life.
Senna Towner | 2008 Intern
What degree program were you enrolled in while at OSU?
PhD in Public Health
When did you complete your degree?
June 2013
Where are you employed or currently enrolled?
Oregon State University
How did the internship experience influence/impact you?
I am committed to working with underprivileged youth and their families. Part of this work includes exploring avenues for youth to attain health and wellness. Interning at Friends of the Children showed me that it is possible for underprivileged and vulnerable youth to thrive when they have support from the community. In this way, the internship experience provided me with a reminder to stay positive and encouraged in my work.
