The Carolina Center for Public Service is delighted to announce UNC-Chapel Hill’s first cohort of SECU Public Fellows Interns. Through this program, nine undergraduate students are working full-time throughout the summer in partnership with community organizations in rural North Carolina.
In the midst of this unusual season of history, we’re excited to highlight these students who stepped up to take on new service roles—and each community organization that stepped up to host them. By the end of the summer, each of these students will have gained valuable lessons from this work experience. Equally importantly, we expect the partner organizations and the communities they serve to benefit from the contributions of these students.
CCPS is deeply grateful to the SECU Foundation for funding this program, and to Rural Forward NC for facilitating the partnerships with each host organization.
The 2020 SECU Public Fellows Interns at UNC-Chapel Hill are:
Brooke Bauman ’21
Major: Environmental science
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Placement site: Foothills Food Hub (Marion, NC)
“I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Foothills Food Hub during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think that now more than ever, it’s essential that all people have access to healthy food.”
Amanda Chau ’21
Major: Anthropology
Hometown: Roanoke Rapids, NC
Placement site: OIC, Inc. (Rocky Mount, NC)
“In a time of precarity, now more than ever should we be working towards equity in rural communities. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve in a community so close to my own through the SECU Public Fellows Internship.”
Kennedy Goode ’23
Major: Health policy and management
Hometown: Winston Salem, NC
Placement site: A Better Chance A Better Community (Enfield, NC)
“I am excited about the SECU Public Fellows Internship Program because it will give me the opportunity to work in a new community and make a positive impact as it relates to health and entrepreneurship. I am excited to broaden my view of North Carolina to learn more about this wonderful state and all that it has to offer.”
Simone Gummere ’22
Major: Biology and medical anthropology
Hometown: Elizabeth City, NC
Placement site: Albemarle Regional Health Services (Elizabeth City and Windsor, NC)
“I am excited for this internship opportunity because I look forward to being able to serve and give back to my community. I also look forward to helping give others the opportunity to have access to healthy food while supporting local businesses.”
Hannah James ’21
Placement site: Project Momentum, Inc. (Rocky Mount, NC)
“I am thrilled to be a part of the SECU Public Fellows Internship Program. I’m excited to use my rural background and current education to further help rural communities in North Carolina while learning more about myself and the type of work that I could do following graduation.”
Sneha Makhijani ’22
Placement site: Men and Women United for Youth and Families (Delco, NC)
“As the SECU Public Fellow Intern for Men and Women United for Youth and Families, I’m both grateful and thrilled to have the opportunity to support the Youth Ambassador Food Program with children and families in the Columbus and Bladen counties of North Carolina. I’m excited to inspire others and create a tangible impact in the community, while promoting education and awareness of available resources to help families become more self-sufficient.”
Lauren Mobley ’22
Placement site: Washington Harbor District Alliance (Washington, NC)
“I am so excited to serve as one of the first UNC-Chapel Hill SECU Public Fellows Interns. During my time interning in Washington, NC, I look forward to collaborating with businesses and entrepreneurs to support the local economy.”
Daniel Mulumba ’21
Placement site: Freedom Org (Rocky Mount, NC)
“I’m excited to participate in SECU Public Fellows Internship because I have the opportunity to give back to a community similar to my own that has given so much to me. In addition, I’m excited to learn about the community I’ll be serving while growing professionally and personally.”
Marcella Pansini ’21
Major: Business administration and public policy
Hometown: Mooresville, NC
Placement Site: NC FIELD, Inc. (Kinston, NC)
“I am so excited to work with NC FIELD this summer and to continue working with and learning from migrant farmworkers! The most contemporary iteration of social and economic justice, to me, is based in equity. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are often overlooked despite providing essential labor to the greater population. Equity should be one of our biggest priorities as a nation, especially when it comes to empowering marginalized communities.”