Johanna Krygsman '17, a public health senior, will be the 6th Elon Postgraduate Fellow at CRHP India. She will spend one year supporting and learning from the coprehensive development nonprofit - the Comprehensive Rural Health Project - in Jamkhed India.
The Elon Postgraduate Fellowship at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in India is a legacy project of the Periclean Scholars class of 2012. The goal for the fellowship is to support the partner nonprofit organization of the class in India and at the same time provide a unique post-graduate experience for Elon students, which would support career, professional, and personal development. The program is supported by Elon alumni through the Periclean Foundation and by Project Pericles, directed by professors Tom Arcaro and Mat Gendle.
The 2017-18 Fellow, Johanna Krygsman, learned about the nonprofit through the Winter Term Public Health Practicum at the project led by Amanda Tapler, senior lecturer and chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance.
Krygsman writes: “In January 2016, I had the privilege of completing my public health practicum at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) and that opportunity opened my eyes to the actuality and importance of public health work. I constantly find myself reflecting on the relationships I have fostered with community members during my time at CRHP and I have been eager to return. This experience allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the health practices in vulnerable populations, and has inspired me to pursue a profession that addresses the needs of marginalized communities. A key personal goal for the fellowship is to fully immerse within the culture of Jamkhed. I believe that this is crucial piece of the fellowship and will be critical to my success in the program. I hope to obtain a deeper, practical understanding of public health through first-hand experience with a real world public health initiative. I know working at CRHP alongside inspiring individuals committed to CRHP’s community health model will allow me to develop as a person, as well as a future public health professional.”
The Fellowship covers transportation expenses, a modest monthly stipend, and room and board in India. Application for the fellowhip is announced in the fall semester and can be found on the Elon Jobs Network. A committee of several 2012 Periclean Scholars, past fellows, and faculty, reviews the applications in consultation with CRHP. Martin Kamela, mentor for the Periclean Scholars Class of 2012 and associate professor of Physics, coordinates the application process and Fellow support.
Current and past fellows include:
2016-17 – Tristan Alexander (psychology major and public health minor, plans to pursue a clinical field after the fellowship)
2015-16 – Nicandro Mandujano (biology major and Periclean Scholar, currently in the City Year program in Washington D.C.)
2014-15 – Cameron Hawkins (biology major, currently pursuing opportunities in sustainable agriculture)
2013-14 – Alyssa Dilly (public health major and Spanish minor, completing a physician assistant studies program)
2012-13 – Virginia Huth (anthropology major and Periclean Scholar, currently a corporate social responsibility officer for a steel manufacturer and transitioning to a nursing program)