SPH Student Embarks on Emerging Leaders Fellowship

Melissa Boney's passion to improve American Indian health has led her to work with local agencies in Minnesota, to pursue a degree at the SPH, and to embark on a fellowship with the Indian Health Service (IHS) in Washington, D.C.

She's working at the federal agency under the Emerging Leaders Program, an initiative that trains exceptional interns from a variety of backgrounds. Over the next two years, Boney will work at the IHS office of health promotion and disease prevention and rotate through a variety of positions in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Working at the Minneapolis American Indian Center helped the SPH student understand what her next career step should be.

"I knew I needed to get more skills and develop the knowledge to better serve my community," says Boney, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

Boney completed her coursework in public health administration and policy last spring and is putting the finishing touches on her master's thesis. Looking through the lens of environmental justice, the project focuses on arsenic contamination in a Minneapolis residential area.

The transition from local public health to an agency that serves 561 tribes in 35 U.S. states is interesting, says Boney, who's looking forward to learning about the federal budget and contracting processes. While Boney knows she wants her career to be focused on American Indian health, she's not sure what path she'll take after the Emerging Leaders Program.

"There are a lot of options. There's a huge need for American Indian public health researchers and professionals on the local and national levels," she says. "Right now I'm figuring out my strengths and where I fit best."