This blog post is a part of the YTH Staff Interview Series, where we are featuring an in-depth Q&A with each member of our staff. This week, we’re talking to Intern Joseph Negrido, who is joining our team for the Summer!
Joseph is a psychology student at College of Marin who aspires to make an impact in the health of those who grew up in poverty, as he did. As a scholar, Joseph hopes to discover the link and to understand how being raised in poverty can affect health and behavior with the intent of using the knowledge to help those in need. Joseph is also a member of our Youth Advisory Board, which is our group of young leaders who work directly with our team to tackle sexual health disparities among youth and young adults. I spoke to him about his passion for human health and behavior, his role in our organization, and the projects he’ll be working on in his internship.
ERIN: Welcome to the YTH team! Tell us, why YTH? What made our organization stand out to you in your job search?
JOSEPH: Thanks for having me! Ever since I first heard about YTH, the organization has always been an interesting concept to me. I developed an interest in youth development and the psychology of it throughout my years of education, so when I learned about YTH, I saw it as a great opportunity to expand my education. What made it even more inviting was the intertwining of technology that goes into all of the work produced by YTH. As part of the YTH Youth Advisory Board, I figured it would be great to actually work closely with all of the YTH staff members and their projects to gain a higher understanding of research, youth, and technology. Now, I am one of the summer interns and I’m glad to be here!
ERIN: As a student at the College of Marin, you’ve worked at a veterans’ hospital, which you say inspired an interest in human health and behavior. How do you see your work at YTH driving this interest? How does it inform your overall professional goals?
JOSEPH: One of my main goals as an intern is to absorb as much knowledge as I can and be well informed. When I continue my education in psychology, I want to be able to step in the door of my first class and feel confident and experienced in working with different situations. I see YTH as that initial step in helping me get the experience necessary to succeed in class and in work. I can only learn and experience new scenarios if I put in the time and effort required to do so. That said, the YTH staff is doing anything and everything they can to ensure that we (the new interns) are well prepared for work inside the classroom and as well as outside of school. Overall, this preparation is a large stepping stone in my goal to be more well educated in youth development and being able to provide the right resources for those who seek the help.
ERIN: What projects will you be working on during your time with YTH? What are you most excited to learn more about and why?
JOSEPH: I’m excited to be working with various YTH staff members and their current projects. Right now, I am assisting efforts in they2ze, PrEPTECH, YTH Live, and SafeZone. I’m especially excited to learn about the process of “Discover, Innovate, Lead,” the words that guide the YTH process and work in youth, tech, and health innovation. I have no doubt that during my time with YTH I will learn many new skills and build my professional repertoire. When I finish my internship, I know that I’ll be well prepared for my next step.
Learn more about how our new app they2ze, which provides access to health resources for transgender-spectrum youth. Now available for download on both iOS and Android devices.
Want to learn how else you can support youth health? Download our other latest project, TECHsex, a national report on how youth interact with social media and technology, specifically related to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and get recommendations for working with young people.
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