Meet Emma Santini: CLAN UNYR and Intern
Emma's Update: January 2023
After graduating from Lehigh University in May of 2022 with degrees in international relations and economics, I was honored to receive a Boren Award from the US government to study the Indonesian language. After a summer of linguistic and cultural training, I departed for Malang, East Java, Indonesia in August to begin a fully funded semester at the State University of Malang (UM). I spent each day fulfilling intensive language study requirements, while gaining an immersive cultural experience through extracurricular activities and housing with an Indonesian family. After completing my studies at UM and reaching an advanced level of Indonesian fluency, my award sponsored me to move to Jakarta to begin an internship with the International Pediatric Association and CLAN. It has been so valuable to work in-country with CLAN’s international partners and develop a deep understanding of the Indonesian healthcare system. My current focus is strengthening Indonesia’s efforts to scale Newborn Screening and support families already diagnosed with CAH through improved access to medicine. I also work to translate educational materials into English and Indonesian. Although my internship has only just begun, I already know this will be one of the most formative experiences of my professional life. I am unbelievably grateful that I get to contribute to lifesaving public health projects, work with so many passionate individuals, and explore a country with such a beautifully unique culture and way of life.
Interview taken 15th February, 2022
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am from New York and am a senior at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, majoring in international relations and economics with a minor in global health. I’m super interested in the field of international development and right now I just function as a student, with all of my extra-curricular activities aiming toward professional development.
What motivates you to work hard, and to do what you do?
I think ultimately what motivates me is my passion for change - I would say that’s the motivator to work hard and commit myself to attending a job or career in public development - especially as it pertains to public health, because I feel like something so simple as accessible, high quality healthcare is something that I view as a human right, yet it’s something many around the world don’t have. So if I can play a role in changing that, even if it’s a small one, I want to. It’s always been my goal to engage in activities and hopefully work in a realm that’s meaningful for myself and others, so I’m always working towards attaining that.
How and when did you start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I started working with CLAN in the spring of 2020, I don’t remember how exactly I heard about CLAN, but I had always been involved in my university’s activities with the United Nations, and I really wanted to become more involved. As an international relations and economics major, I was interested in the field of international development, but I didn’t have a lot of foundations in the public health sector of international development, and I really wanted to explore that area a lot more. So when I heard about this opportunity with CLAN and the fact that they were looking for someone that had interest in all three of those areas, it was a perfect fit for me. So that was my main motivator - I really just wanted to dip my toes into the field of public health more, and I was so in awe of all of CLAN’s work, I thought they were doing such meaningful initiatives across the world - and also after meeting Kate and Cath I knew it was something I wanted to participate in. Their commitment to CLAN and deep devotion to communities that are really underserved definitely drew my attention.
What is your role within CLAN?
I am a United Nations Youth Representative, so that could mean anything - I think one of my favourite parts about the role is how diverse my responsibilities are, but as a Youth Rep mostly what I do is serve as CLAN’s voice at the UN and navigate UN functions, bodies and opportunities on behalf of CLAN. Ultimately what you’re doing is serving as their advocate, and finding new opportunities for CLAN to grow and raise awareness of their efforts to again, ultimately, keep this mission going and keep it alive. It could be anything from me writing briefing statements that are submitted to the UN, but also collaborating with the youth advisors and trying to brainstorm different ideas, or editing documents or serving as support for the @MATES4Kids initiative - there are so many things I’ve been able to take on in this role which emphasises how dynamic and diverse it is, and how much they trust you to work across disciplines.
What was the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN thus far?
I think it had to be almost a year ago when we had the forum for the Commission on the Status of Women, 65th Anniversary. It was something that I had never done before, and it was super intimidating - it was kind of an opportunity we went into very blindly, not knowing how it was going to turn out and if people were going to attend, and with the world still reeling from COVID, there was a lot going on. Ultimately, it ended up being a huge success - I think we ended up having over 120 people registered, which for me was a number that was shocking! I had the honour of working with Katie Hunsberger who gave the most incredible and moving speech - she’s such an accomplished Indigenous woman who is really making great change in this line of public health, especially within Indigenous communities. So I really thought we did a great job of entering into a challenging environment and raising awareness not only of CLAN’s work but also problems we are engaging with as allies alongside indigenous communities. The event helped foster open discourse, answering important questions and opening the doors for networking opportunities. I think it was something that was a way for CLAN to convey our mission and message to a new and much wider, broader, audience.
What advice would you provide to people who wanted to become Youth Representatives for CLAN?
I feel like I could give advice on so many different things, but I think for me, something I’d have to say is just take initiative. I feel like, being a Youth Representative, as I said before, there are a lot of responsibilities and they’re usually very diverse. A lot of people … it’s also somewhat an ambiguous role - like I said I kind of worked on everything under the sun, and sometimes you have to be largely independent, so I think it’s important to seek out opportunities and really pursue them and strive to make them a reality. So of course then, in a related way, my advice would be to kind of hone in on communication skills and be open-minded, because you need the confidence to seek these things out and communicate and do outreach to bring these things to fruition, but also to communicate within CLAN and coordinate with everyone and make sure that what you’re doing is in line with what the organisation is moving towards.
What projects are you currently working on?
Right now - repeating last year’s success with the CSW66 forum is predominantly what I’m working on. Also, my colleague, Annie Sanchez, and I have been working on a course that aims to educate other professionals and individuals in this field about CLAN’s framework for action, and the work that we do in this field of NCDs. So that’s been a big project that we’re trying to develop because it’s not easy to make an entire course - especially as a student with no experience in teaching, it’s been a really big learning experience for me. Otherwise, I help support Kate as a program officer for the @MATES4Kids initiative that I hope to continue doing - I do a lot of communication, editing and other logistical things. Other than that, Annie and I are just trying to strengthen CLAN’s presence at the UN, especially within ECOSOC.
What has been your most successful work with CLAN?
This is quite broad, but I think the amount of reports, statements and different UN opportunities I’ve been able to take advantage of in the time that I’ve been a Youth Representative has been really cool. I know for example, Kevin Smith, my former colleague and I got to write a chapter in a Lehigh faculty members volume - it was about global citizenship education, but we were specifically asked to write about global citizenship in the context of CLAN, so we got to write about CLAN’s work, and it will hopefully be published soon in that volume. So that’s another great way we’ve been able to get CLAN’s name out there. Other than that, we’ve submitted statements to high-level UN committee meetings and similar events, which I feel, cumulatively, over time, have been really successful. I think we’ve seen a lot of outcomes that are new and exciting, and even something we can pursue in the future and become better at. We’re still all learning, but I’ve seen a lot of different accomplishments during my short two years here - I feel like there’s too many to even name.
How has working with CLAN shaped your worldview?
Working with CLAN has definitely broadened my worldview by first and foremost introducing me to new individuals, communities and problems in countries across the globe, which I hadn’t previously learned about and didn’t know a lot about. That’s been an amazing way for me to develop really critical cross-cultural competencies that will help me in the future. Before working with CLAN I obviously had an idea of the sorts of healthcare inequities present throughout society, but I now definitely have a more personal and deeper connection to the issue and it’s something that I'll continue to look for and work to help change in the future. I think such a prominent example is all the work CLAN has done with CAH (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia), because that’s something that I had no idea presented such terrible inequities for children around the world. It’s tragic, and I’ve come to
understand the severity and gravity of this issue, and the fact that not only is the issue itself severe, but the fact that there aren't a lot of efforts around the world - that CLAN is one of the pioneers in helping to solve NCDs for children in resource-poor settings. It’s a continuous learning process that I think, in terms of my worldview, I’m constantly now looking out for it and viewing things a different way.
Has working with CLAN opened up new opportunities?
Definitely. I keep reiterating this, but collaborating with individuals and groups - more than I could have ever imagined - has been amazing, especially from a networking standpoint. Also to just learn and meet people is really great. I think whether it be CLAN partners, other UN accredited NGOs or even other UN Youth Representatives at Lehigh and the Youth Advisors - it’s just been really cool to spread my wings and talk to more people than I thought I would ever. So when I’m able to share my experiences in this position and do outreach, I think it helps me to be able to connect much better with people who not only work in this field, but beyond, based on the parallels of our work. I think, again, opportunity wise, CLAN has opened so many doors for me, especially as a senior graduating college and soon entering the workforce, because not only will it really help me as I step into new professional roles, but I am trying to maybe even travel and continue working with CLAN in some capacity beyond my graduation to continue to support their work and the upcoming mates for kids initiative. I think it's amazing to have such a deepened skill set that will serve me in whatever role I take on - there's inherent skills I’ve gained that, even if it wasn’t something related to health or advocacy, something as simple as communication skills really help.
In what ways do you think things would be different if you hadn’t started working with CLAN or as a UN Youth Rep?
I think things definitely would have been different because CLAN is such an ideal place to learn about these types of initiatives in this line of work, but part of the reason that I was drawn to CLAN was because I wanted to explore the public health sector, specifically in the context of broader international development. I think if I hadn’t worked with CLAN I would have searched for similar opportunities that involve grass-roots efforts to improve the health of disadvantaged societies around the world. I’m unsure whether they would have been operating at the capacity of CLAN or have as much meaning to me as CLAN does, but I would like to think that if I hadn’t accepted the position with CLAN, I would have found another way to continue to pursue this field. Obviously I’m beyond grateful that it did end up being with CLAN, because they’re just one of a kind in the way they foster the development of their youth and really trust you and give you the privileges to learn and grow.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I wish I knew - if I could see into the future I would. It’s my goal to, one day, work for the US government doing something in the field of international affairs, but it’s unclear how long that would take me. So my ultimate goal is to do government work, but I don’t know what my path will be like to get there. I can definitely see myself also ending up in the not-for-profit sector, like CLAN, or also doing private-sector work. Additionally, I do hope to get a masters degree at some point and I do want to have some work experience under my belt, so I can definitely foresee the 5 year mark being the point where I pursue another degree, hopefully in public health or international development. Fingers crossed I’ll be doing something that I love where I’ll be fulfilled and fun-filled.
Emma's Update: January 2023
After graduating from Lehigh University in May of 2022 with degrees in international relations and economics, I was honored to receive a Boren Award from the US government to study the Indonesian language. After a summer of linguistic and cultural training, I departed for Malang, East Java, Indonesia in August to begin a fully funded semester at the State University of Malang (UM). I spent each day fulfilling intensive language study requirements, while gaining an immersive cultural experience through extracurricular activities and housing with an Indonesian family. After completing my studies at UM and reaching an advanced level of Indonesian fluency, my award sponsored me to move to Jakarta to begin an internship with the International Pediatric Association and CLAN. It has been so valuable to work in-country with CLAN’s international partners and develop a deep understanding of the Indonesian healthcare system. My current focus is strengthening Indonesia’s efforts to scale Newborn Screening and support families already diagnosed with CAH through improved access to medicine. I also work to translate educational materials into English and Indonesian. Although my internship has only just begun, I already know this will be one of the most formative experiences of my professional life. I am unbelievably grateful that I get to contribute to lifesaving public health projects, work with so many passionate individuals, and explore a country with such a beautifully unique culture and way of life.
Interview taken 15th February, 2022
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am from New York and am a senior at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, majoring in international relations and economics with a minor in global health. I’m super interested in the field of international development and right now I just function as a student, with all of my extra-curricular activities aiming toward professional development.
What motivates you to work hard, and to do what you do?
I think ultimately what motivates me is my passion for change - I would say that’s the motivator to work hard and commit myself to attending a job or career in public development - especially as it pertains to public health, because I feel like something so simple as accessible, high quality healthcare is something that I view as a human right, yet it’s something many around the world don’t have. So if I can play a role in changing that, even if it’s a small one, I want to. It’s always been my goal to engage in activities and hopefully work in a realm that’s meaningful for myself and others, so I’m always working towards attaining that.
How and when did you start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I started working with CLAN in the spring of 2020, I don’t remember how exactly I heard about CLAN, but I had always been involved in my university’s activities with the United Nations, and I really wanted to become more involved. As an international relations and economics major, I was interested in the field of international development, but I didn’t have a lot of foundations in the public health sector of international development, and I really wanted to explore that area a lot more. So when I heard about this opportunity with CLAN and the fact that they were looking for someone that had interest in all three of those areas, it was a perfect fit for me. So that was my main motivator - I really just wanted to dip my toes into the field of public health more, and I was so in awe of all of CLAN’s work, I thought they were doing such meaningful initiatives across the world - and also after meeting Kate and Cath I knew it was something I wanted to participate in. Their commitment to CLAN and deep devotion to communities that are really underserved definitely drew my attention.
What is your role within CLAN?
I am a United Nations Youth Representative, so that could mean anything - I think one of my favourite parts about the role is how diverse my responsibilities are, but as a Youth Rep mostly what I do is serve as CLAN’s voice at the UN and navigate UN functions, bodies and opportunities on behalf of CLAN. Ultimately what you’re doing is serving as their advocate, and finding new opportunities for CLAN to grow and raise awareness of their efforts to again, ultimately, keep this mission going and keep it alive. It could be anything from me writing briefing statements that are submitted to the UN, but also collaborating with the youth advisors and trying to brainstorm different ideas, or editing documents or serving as support for the @MATES4Kids initiative - there are so many things I’ve been able to take on in this role which emphasises how dynamic and diverse it is, and how much they trust you to work across disciplines.
What was the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN thus far?
I think it had to be almost a year ago when we had the forum for the Commission on the Status of Women, 65th Anniversary. It was something that I had never done before, and it was super intimidating - it was kind of an opportunity we went into very blindly, not knowing how it was going to turn out and if people were going to attend, and with the world still reeling from COVID, there was a lot going on. Ultimately, it ended up being a huge success - I think we ended up having over 120 people registered, which for me was a number that was shocking! I had the honour of working with Katie Hunsberger who gave the most incredible and moving speech - she’s such an accomplished Indigenous woman who is really making great change in this line of public health, especially within Indigenous communities. So I really thought we did a great job of entering into a challenging environment and raising awareness not only of CLAN’s work but also problems we are engaging with as allies alongside indigenous communities. The event helped foster open discourse, answering important questions and opening the doors for networking opportunities. I think it was something that was a way for CLAN to convey our mission and message to a new and much wider, broader, audience.
What advice would you provide to people who wanted to become Youth Representatives for CLAN?
I feel like I could give advice on so many different things, but I think for me, something I’d have to say is just take initiative. I feel like, being a Youth Representative, as I said before, there are a lot of responsibilities and they’re usually very diverse. A lot of people … it’s also somewhat an ambiguous role - like I said I kind of worked on everything under the sun, and sometimes you have to be largely independent, so I think it’s important to seek out opportunities and really pursue them and strive to make them a reality. So of course then, in a related way, my advice would be to kind of hone in on communication skills and be open-minded, because you need the confidence to seek these things out and communicate and do outreach to bring these things to fruition, but also to communicate within CLAN and coordinate with everyone and make sure that what you’re doing is in line with what the organisation is moving towards.
What projects are you currently working on?
Right now - repeating last year’s success with the CSW66 forum is predominantly what I’m working on. Also, my colleague, Annie Sanchez, and I have been working on a course that aims to educate other professionals and individuals in this field about CLAN’s framework for action, and the work that we do in this field of NCDs. So that’s been a big project that we’re trying to develop because it’s not easy to make an entire course - especially as a student with no experience in teaching, it’s been a really big learning experience for me. Otherwise, I help support Kate as a program officer for the @MATES4Kids initiative that I hope to continue doing - I do a lot of communication, editing and other logistical things. Other than that, Annie and I are just trying to strengthen CLAN’s presence at the UN, especially within ECOSOC.
What has been your most successful work with CLAN?
This is quite broad, but I think the amount of reports, statements and different UN opportunities I’ve been able to take advantage of in the time that I’ve been a Youth Representative has been really cool. I know for example, Kevin Smith, my former colleague and I got to write a chapter in a Lehigh faculty members volume - it was about global citizenship education, but we were specifically asked to write about global citizenship in the context of CLAN, so we got to write about CLAN’s work, and it will hopefully be published soon in that volume. So that’s another great way we’ve been able to get CLAN’s name out there. Other than that, we’ve submitted statements to high-level UN committee meetings and similar events, which I feel, cumulatively, over time, have been really successful. I think we’ve seen a lot of outcomes that are new and exciting, and even something we can pursue in the future and become better at. We’re still all learning, but I’ve seen a lot of different accomplishments during my short two years here - I feel like there’s too many to even name.
How has working with CLAN shaped your worldview?
Working with CLAN has definitely broadened my worldview by first and foremost introducing me to new individuals, communities and problems in countries across the globe, which I hadn’t previously learned about and didn’t know a lot about. That’s been an amazing way for me to develop really critical cross-cultural competencies that will help me in the future. Before working with CLAN I obviously had an idea of the sorts of healthcare inequities present throughout society, but I now definitely have a more personal and deeper connection to the issue and it’s something that I'll continue to look for and work to help change in the future. I think such a prominent example is all the work CLAN has done with CAH (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia), because that’s something that I had no idea presented such terrible inequities for children around the world. It’s tragic, and I’ve come to
understand the severity and gravity of this issue, and the fact that not only is the issue itself severe, but the fact that there aren't a lot of efforts around the world - that CLAN is one of the pioneers in helping to solve NCDs for children in resource-poor settings. It’s a continuous learning process that I think, in terms of my worldview, I’m constantly now looking out for it and viewing things a different way.
Has working with CLAN opened up new opportunities?
Definitely. I keep reiterating this, but collaborating with individuals and groups - more than I could have ever imagined - has been amazing, especially from a networking standpoint. Also to just learn and meet people is really great. I think whether it be CLAN partners, other UN accredited NGOs or even other UN Youth Representatives at Lehigh and the Youth Advisors - it’s just been really cool to spread my wings and talk to more people than I thought I would ever. So when I’m able to share my experiences in this position and do outreach, I think it helps me to be able to connect much better with people who not only work in this field, but beyond, based on the parallels of our work. I think, again, opportunity wise, CLAN has opened so many doors for me, especially as a senior graduating college and soon entering the workforce, because not only will it really help me as I step into new professional roles, but I am trying to maybe even travel and continue working with CLAN in some capacity beyond my graduation to continue to support their work and the upcoming mates for kids initiative. I think it's amazing to have such a deepened skill set that will serve me in whatever role I take on - there's inherent skills I’ve gained that, even if it wasn’t something related to health or advocacy, something as simple as communication skills really help.
In what ways do you think things would be different if you hadn’t started working with CLAN or as a UN Youth Rep?
I think things definitely would have been different because CLAN is such an ideal place to learn about these types of initiatives in this line of work, but part of the reason that I was drawn to CLAN was because I wanted to explore the public health sector, specifically in the context of broader international development. I think if I hadn’t worked with CLAN I would have searched for similar opportunities that involve grass-roots efforts to improve the health of disadvantaged societies around the world. I’m unsure whether they would have been operating at the capacity of CLAN or have as much meaning to me as CLAN does, but I would like to think that if I hadn’t accepted the position with CLAN, I would have found another way to continue to pursue this field. Obviously I’m beyond grateful that it did end up being with CLAN, because they’re just one of a kind in the way they foster the development of their youth and really trust you and give you the privileges to learn and grow.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I wish I knew - if I could see into the future I would. It’s my goal to, one day, work for the US government doing something in the field of international affairs, but it’s unclear how long that would take me. So my ultimate goal is to do government work, but I don’t know what my path will be like to get there. I can definitely see myself also ending up in the not-for-profit sector, like CLAN, or also doing private-sector work. Additionally, I do hope to get a masters degree at some point and I do want to have some work experience under my belt, so I can definitely foresee the 5 year mark being the point where I pursue another degree, hopefully in public health or international development. Fingers crossed I’ll be doing something that I love where I’ll be fulfilled and fun-filled.
