SCRANTON, PA — The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education hosted 26 high school and college interns over the summer, providing hands-on experience for students following multiple career paths.  

The interns were assigned to several departments, including administration, clinical, finance, legal, marketing and communications. 

Ultimately, board members, executives and employees heard students discuss their projects and answer questions about their findings, internship experience and future plans. 

Attendees at the annual event cast ballots for the scholarly posters. Prizes were awarded to the top three vote-getters: 

First place: Katherine Mena Pereyra, from American University, created the poster, “Advocacy Coffee Connections: Understanding the Big Beautiful Bill.” She was mentored by Aimee Wechsler, director of government affairs at The Wright Center.

Second place: Noah Lynch of Elizabethtown College, for his research poster, “Increasing the Uptake of PrEP Among Women.” The project focused on educating providers and women in the community about the importance of pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP, which can significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV. Melissa Bonnerwith, grants administrator at The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic, was his mentor. 

Third place: Shane Cegelka of King’s College showcased his poster, “The Importance of Proper Informed Consent in Healthcare.” Cegelka was mentored by Jennifer Walsh, Esq., senior vice president and chief legal and governance officer; and Courtney Kuschke, paralegal at The Wright Center. 

To learn more about internship opportunities, visit TheWrightCenter.org/internships. 

The Wright Center trains resident and fellow physicians in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance its mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve, the center said.

For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570/230-0019.