FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2026
Media Contact: Yolanda Y. Harris, c[email protected]
SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY, IL – Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is celebrating eight high school students who successfully completed the second cohort of its Community Health Worker (CHW) High School Pipeline Program, a six-week paid internship that introduces young people to careers in public health while building the next generation of community health leaders.
The interns, who attend Bremen High School, Hillcrest High School, and Tinley Park High School, gained hands-on experience working alongside public health professionals, learning how public health programs improve the health and well-being of residents across suburban Cook County. The program provides students with real-world experience, professional development, and a pathway to future careers in public health.
CCDPH will recognize the interns’ accomplishments during a graduation and recognition ceremony on Friday, July 31, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Hilton Oak Lawn, where students, families, mentors, and community partners will celebrate the completion of the program and the interns’ contributions throughout the summer.
“Our hope is for this program to inspire students to pursue careers in public health, healthcare, or other community-serving professions. Equally important, this initiative provides young people, particularly those from historically underrepresented communities, access to opportunities that open doors, expand possibilities, and strengthen the future public health workforce,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer, Cook County Department of Public Health.
“Our internship program was created to strengthen the future public health workforce by providing high school students with early exposure to careers in public health while removing barriers that often limit access to these opportunities,” said Xandria Hair, associate program director of Community Engagement and Health Education at Cook County Department of Public Health.
“The internships intentionally blend technical knowledge with practical experience, helping students build professional skills while developing a deeper understanding of health equity, cultural humility, and the vital role community health workers play in creating healthier, more connected communities.”
Before beginning their internships, each student successfully completed the community health worker core skills training at Sinai Urban Health Institute. This one-week virtual training provided students foundational knowledge in the community health worker profession. Students were then placed as interns at one of three community partner organizations: Arab American Family Services, Family Christian Health Center and TCA Health.
Joshua Ryan, a rising senior at Tinley Park High School, interned at Family Christian Health Center in Harvey, Ill. He guided patients in signing up for MyChart and educated them on the electronic medical record system and its capabilities. He also helped prepare giveaway items and badges for the center’s annual KidFest event.
“For me, the internship has been beneficial because it exposed me to the realities of working in a community clinic, managing resources, interacting with patients, and working on a team in a healthcare environment. It has also allowed me to make valuable connections in the public health industry,” Ryan said.
Julissa Zuniga, a recent graduate of Breman High School and rising freshmen at University of Illinois in Urbana- Champaign, interned with TCA Health. She assisted several programs, including the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and HIV prevention programs.
“Throughout my internship I was able to provide resources like fresh produce, health screenings and educational materials to community members,” Zuniga said. “This first-hand experience gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of health equity and increasing access to resources in underserved communities.”
Throughout the six-week internship, students worked alongside experienced professionals on projects that addressed real community health priorities, including STI/HIV prevention, food access, domestic violence prevention, disability justice, community outreach and healthcare access through technology. They also supported public health communication campaigns. For example, the interns participated in the making of a video highlighting the effects and dangers of vaping. The video will be released this fall and is a promotional tool for Cook County Department of Public Health’s awareness campaign called “Ditch The Cloud.”
The interns also participated in a weekly professional development series led by Cook County Department of Public Health’s administrative operations staff. Sessions introduced students to multiple public health disciplines, including epidemiology, communications, administrative operations, emergency preparedness, and executive leadership.
Learn more about the department’s CHW pipeline program through this report and this video from the 2025 internship cohort.
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