Maraki Daniel Spring 2026 Fellowship Experience

This past spring, I had the opportunity to spend my last semester at GW as an Evaluation Fellow at March of Dimes. During my time there, I supported data collection and assessment efforts of their needs assessment that aims to understand how the doula and community health worker (CHW) workforce in the DMV can be better supported. Furthermore, I completed two independent projects for my practicum, which include a health equity descriptive analysis and a needs assessment analytic plan.

This fellowship was a learning opportunity for me in more ways than expected. From learning how to use new statistical software to gaining exposure to meaningful work in the MCH space, this experience was a great introduction to how public health organizations make a meaningful impact in their community. I learned about the scope of work of doulas and CHWs, and how sociodemographic inequities are present in these roles. Additionally, I got to observe what workforce development looks like from a new side of public health by seeing how data (particularly primary data collected from surveys) can be implemented to later inform program development initiatives. These experiences have left me feeling more confident as a soon-to-be graduate preparing to enter the workforce because it has equipped me with new transferable skills and contributed to my overarching career goal of becoming the most well-rounded public health professional possible.