A Personal Assessment of an Interview with a Program Manager

I interviewed with Hogwarts' new program manager, who shall be called ABC. I met her for the first time on April 17th. ABC joined Hogwarts just two weeks after my internship began, so I was interested in learning about her most recent position and why she chose to join Hogwarts. We had lunch together while talking about her previous job and my internship experience so far. ABC had worked in an organization similar to Hogwarts, but there were several key differences I wanted to explore.

I asked her for a more formal interview the following Friday, April 24th. I was worried that the second interview may be repetitive, so I made a mental note not to repeat questions I had already asked. ABC was the best option for an interview because the other people I work with are either volunteers or have unpredictable schedules.

The official interview happened at 1 pm on Friday, about half an hour after lunch. We met down the hall in her office, a small, windowless room with several rolling chairs and desktop computers.

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The two of us sat in facing each other, a few feet apart. This meeting also doubled as our weekly check-in, so we spent the first thirty minutes discussing my cases and going over my expectations for the internship. That last part was a little dry because I had already repeated my internship expectations to many people, so I had to tell myself to perk up for the interview and not appear bored.

The overall mood of the interview and preceding check-in portion was casual and relaxed.

ABC had her legs crossed most of the time, used animated hand gestures, and made lots of eye contact. I had the impression that she was excited to be interviewed and have an opportunity to tell her story. Drawing from her enthusiasm, I felt more energetic as well.

Throughout the thirty-minute interview, the atmosphere never felt tense or uncomfortable, which probably encouraged a more open conversation. Although I prepared a list of questions based on the rubric and asked those questions in order, ABC's responses flowed well and the transitions were not stiff or sudden. I was glad the interview did not feel too formal; for past interviews, I never prepared anything, preferring to let the interviewee take their path. This interview was easier than many interviews I had conducted in the past because ABC always responded with lengthy, enthusiastic answers.

First, I asked ABC to describe her career journey - how she began, what motivated her, and how she came to Hogwarts. ABC's story started right after high school graduation at a west side community organization called PCC, where she took prenatal classes in preparation for her first baby. She attended weekly sessions and became so involved that she was invited to become a co-facilitator for the classes. After that, she joined PCC as an Americorps member, educating young mothers and linking them to community resources. She became their instructor, advocate, and friend. The bulk of her work involved monthly home visits, but she continued holding weekly prenatal lessons. When her Americorps term ended, ABC attended DePaul University and received a bachelor's degree in health and social services management. With this degree, she returned to PCC and became a Program Manager, the highest position available. She worked as a PM for eleven years, until one day she heard about Hogwarts from a friend.

Immediately she was inspired by Hogwarts' mission to address patients' non-medical needs. At PCC, ABC noticed that young mothers would stop coming to classes for many reasons, most of them related to household problems rather than issues with their healthcare providers.

She saw the importance of Hogwarts as a hub for community resources that could encourage patients to seek medical care without worrying about food, transportation, and other basic needs.

In addition, ABC valued the idea of recruiting college students for these advocate positions. At PCC, she saw how the people at the top – doctors, administrators, etc. – were unable to understand or sympathize with the lives of the people they were trying to help. This created a disconnect that led to inefficient policies. Thus it is invaluable for college students, many of whom would go on to become doctors or future leaders, to understand the barriers that community members face. I fully agree with her reasoning; in fact, this is one of the reasons I wanted to work with Hogwarts in the first place. I am glad to have a program manager who shares my goals.

Next, I asked ABC about her thoughts on public health. She defined public health as something that “promotes and protects the health of the people and where they live and work.” Not only does each individual's health matter, but the environment is important as well. For example, without proper care and upbringing, kids cannot thrive. To that end, ABC believes education can solve many disparities in America. At PCC, she would read to the kids in the waiting room while their mothers watched. This teaches the kids basic literacy skills and provides a model behavior for mothers to emulate. “Ultimately,” ABC, said, “public health starts with the people," not necessarily with politicians and administrators. Education programs such as Let's Move output the power in the hands of each individual and motivate them to take control of their own lives. Although I think this is true, government regulations are important too because they bring about immediate, tangible change. For example, when the trans fat ban went into effect, restaurants complied immediately. On the other hand, education-based programs often take years for the effects to become apparent.

My last question concerned the vaccination debate. ABC believes educating parents on the importance of vaccination will help them make the right decision to vaccinate their children.

If education is not working, however, vaccination regulations may have to come into play.  Parents who chose not to immunize their children are toying with the health of the greater population, she says, which is dangerous to themselves and their communities.

ABC's journey is inspiring. On the wall of her office is a series of business cards outlining her rise within PCC, from class facilitator to Americorps volunteer to program manager. She truly believes in the importance of community health starting from the ground up. I realize now that Hogwarts does exactly that. We are not a group of administrators or businessmen trying to figure out why huge health disparities exist; we are college students trying to reduce these disparities by connecting community members to local, non-medical resources that allow them the time and energy to deal with health concerns. We fill a much-needed niche within the medical system, a niche that is often ignored or overlooked. I hope that ABC will be able to draw from her vast experience working with underserved communities to improve and expand Hogwarts to even more locations within Chicago and Illinois.