Hemophilia Federation of America has welcomed two advocacy interns for the summer of 2020, but in a new and unique way. For many years, HFA’s advocacy interns spent 10 weeks of their summer living in Washington, D.C., where the HFA office is located, engaged in hands-on activities related to policy and advocacy. But with travel restrictions and safety concerns in place for a global pandemic, HFA had to rethink the annual tradition. The result is a virtual summer internship! Interns are participating in regular webinars and online training about legislative, policy and advocacy issues, learning more about hearings and what it means to work on Capitol Hill, building communications and media skills, and more. HFA is pleased to welcome the following virtual interns:
My name is Tameelah Dawson. I am 21 years old from Lexington, S.C. and currently a senior at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S. C., pursing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I have been heavily active in the hemophilia community for well over five years. I’ve served as a junior board member for Hemophilia South Carolina and I am also a part of the Advocacy Coalition for bleeding disorders in South Carolina. I enjoy working with HFA – I love to be a big helping hand whenever I am needed and making an impact on the younger generations is a true blessing. I constantly work with teens and young adults, making sure they are aware of the impact they can have on the community just by using their voice.
My name is Will Hubbert, and I’m a soon-to-graduate history major at the College of William and Mary, hailing from northern Virginia. I’ve volunteered in the bleeding disorders community since I was a kid, when I started attending venipuncture clinics at my HTC as a patient mentor. Since then I’ve been involved in all sorts of ways, from helping out with childcare at HFA Symposium to developing programming that chapters all over the country can use to reach their young adult members. When I’m not studying history or playing frisbee, you can find me at one of the two SeriousFun Camps I’ve been lucky enough to work at during the last five summers. From facilitating my camp trips to teaching me to self-infuse, the bleeding disorder community has done a great deal for me over the years. This year I’m excited to pay it forward as an advocacy intern for HFA, where I hope to help the bleeding disorders community secure life-preserving healthcare even amid a global pandemic.
