March 26, 2024 | A Newsletter for the YANA Community | |
Dwight Hall's Impact: Hannah Kiburz '22 | |
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“I learned more about working at nonprofits from my years at Dwight Hall than I did in my courses at Yale,” reflects Hannah Kiburz '22. Many Yale graduates remember Dwight Hall as a point of contact for students interested in volunteering with local New Haven organizations (there are currently 90 member groups). Fewer, perhaps, realize that Dwight Hall, through programs like Urban Fellows and Summer Fellows, offers students comprehensive, rigorous training for careers in the nonprofit sector. Whether or not graduates work in the public sphere after their time at Yale, Dwight Hall hopes to promote a “service mindset” so that alumni make “just choices” in both their personal and professional lives.
“I would have ended up at Dwight Hall no matter what,” jokes Hannah, an economic anthropology major and Urban Fellow for two years, first with 'r Kids Family Center, which provides adoption services in Greater New Haven, and then Love 146, an anti-trafficking organization that seeks to prevent trafficking and provides a wide range of services for survivors. Hannah became the coordinator of Urban Fellows and served on the Student Executive Committee during the pandemic, when in-person services were suspended and students had to find innovative ways to support communities in a time of great need. Hundreds of New Haven public school students received Chromebooks as a result of Dwight Hall’s fundraising efforts.
After graduation, Hannah worked with an affordable housing nonprofit in the Bay Area. Currently, she works with a Community Benefit District in San Francisco that augments government services, where she focuses mainly on economic development programming.
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“The maximum legal interest rate on loans in Tennessee is 460%,” explained Victoria Grace Hewlett '19, Executive Director of Appalachian Opportunity Fund (AOF), based in Johnson City, TN, in the heart of Central Appalachia, about four hours from Nashville. The Northeast Tennessee native returned home after graduation with a degree in Ethics, Politics & Economics in hand and is currently working on a Masters in Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University (one of only two such programs in the country).
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Predatory lending is not unique to Tennessee, but it’s particularly virulent as the industry has deep roots in Tennessee and continues to have a powerful lobby in the state. Founded by Adam Taylor and Aaron Duffy, AOF grew out of a Kingsport, TN credit union, where the founders witnessed the life-changing impact of one-on-one financial coaching with an expert certified with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).
AOF became a 501(c)(3) in 2019, partnering with local nonprofits and the East Tennessee Foundation. The Financial Freedom Fund program allows AOF clients to get cash-backed loans from reputable lenders for which they would not otherwise qualify due to low credit scores or high debt. AOF’s approach is people-centered, solution-oriented, and results-driven. AOF hopes to expand beyond Northeast Tennessee to stimulate community wealth and nurture individual financial stability throughout all of Appalachia. Visit the website for more on AOF’s community-transforming work.
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Victoria Grace Hewlett '19, Executive Director | |
FOR YANA MEMBERS WORKING IN PUBLIC HEALTH | | |
 
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20th Annual Yale Healthcare Conference
April 12 | In-Person (New Haven, CT) & Virtual
Yale Healthcare Conference is organized by graduate students across Yale and brings over 500+ professionals, academics, and students together to fearlessly think, talk, and inspire the future of healthcare. Each year, we invite dozens of esteemed industry and academic speakers to explore relevant topics that impact our industry and the health of our communities.
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Live from NYC - YANA Town Hall
May 29, 6:30pm ET | Yale Club of NYC & via Zoom
May is National Nursing Month and we’re pleased to be joined by Dr. Azita Emami, the new Dean of the Yale School of Nursing, who will describe her fascinating journey to Yale along with her bold vision for the YSN.
Details & registration to follow
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Caribbean Nurses Securing Global Health
May 15, 6:00 pm ET | Virtual via Zoom
YANA Caribbean will host a webinar with panelists from Grenada, Bahamas, and Trinidad & Tobago focusing on the various ways nurses are advancing global health in those countries.
Details & registration to follow
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10-Time Consecutive Winner of the Yale Board of Governors Excellence Award
Working Together, Giving Back, Changing Lives
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Editor-in-Chief: Liana Scarim
Editorial Board: Joellyn Gray, Ken Inadomi, Victoria Ordin, Lisa Rieger
Photos & Video: Brian Hammerstein
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