It is now 9 o’clock in the morning, most people are just arriving at their offices or still stuck in traffic. As the advocacy fellows at Healthier Colorado, we are not most people. At nine in the morning, we have done everything from attending coalition meetings on a controversial sugar-sweetened beverage tax measure to meeting with legislators that have had their hands in state and national politics for many years. Our friends in other fellowships and entry-level positions, while potentially happily occupied, are a far cry from making the same resounding changes for those in need that we are hoping to make. We entered the fellowship with a variety of dreams and ideas and Healthier Colorado has admirably channeled our drive and ambitions throughout this fellowship.
Since coming to work with Healthier Colorado on June 1st, one question, above all else, has perplexed most people when I tell them what I do: What is a fellowship? Well, that honestly depends on how you look at this unique experience. Classically defined, a fellowship is described as a “friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests.” To start, this was an extremely accurate way of looking at the day-to-day work we did as a group of fellows, but as we progressed we became so much more. When it came to sharing one another’s interests, we were about as diverse a group of individuals as one could have ever expected. Only one of us had aspirations of someday running for public office, the rest of us spread ourselves across dreams of starting our own nonprofits, saving lives with our healthcare acumen, and helping North Denver residents through policy change. Coming from four different walks of life, we bonded through the fast-paced, often unpredictable, but incredibly fulfilling days of campaign and advocacy work.
Our experiences on the campaign trail have brought out the best in all of us and we’ve risen to each challenge. Each politician or professional we’ve met has encouraged us to carry on our careers in public service and each have imparted some piece of wisdom upon us. I’ve honed my skills and have become adept in managing relationships, building consensus, campaigning for a cause, and teamwork. Above all I’ve gained confidence in myself as a professional and the contributions I can make to any career moving forward.
What we have learned in this fellowship will undoubtedly continue to benefit us in the next stage of our professional and personal lives. I can’t imagine a more interesting, constructive way to spend six months than learning, working, and being challenged alongside a cohort of exceptional fellows. Even with all of the great work that we have been able to get done, the work Healthier Colorado aims to do is nowhere near finished. We are so proud to have been welcomed in as a part of this ground-breaking organization. The initial intention of the fellowship was to encourage a more diverse group of people to lead active working lives in the public health policy realm, we certainly think it is safe to say that this particular mission was indeed a success.