I was a research and education intern with People for Successful COrean REunification (PSCORE) in Seoul, South Korea. I taught English to North Korean defectors and worked on policy reports about the human rights issues they face.
Public Health Practice Spotlight: Perpetua Buadoo, MPH ’26 (Social Behavioral Sciences/Global Health)
What organization did you work with? What was your role?
Where was your internship located?
Seoul, South Korea
What is your career goal?
My ultimate goal is to help others on a global scale, potentially by pursuing a PhD at the intersection of public health, law, or medicine, and working with organizations such as the UN or WHO to advance health equity.
How was your internship funded?
My internship was funded through a InnovateHealth Yale: Internship in Social Entrepreneurship Award and the Yale School of Public Health Summer Internship Award.
What were your duties/responsibilities during your internship?
I taught English to North Korean defectors and worked on policy reports addressing the human rights issues they face as a research and education intern with PSCORE in Seoul.
Giving a speech as a delegate at the Model UN conference hosted by the National Institute for Unification Education in Seoul.
What did you take away from your internship?
From this experience, I came away with a deeper understanding of the barriers North Korean defectors face and a stronger sense of responsibility to use my skills in education and public health to advocate for others.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship? What was the most challenging? The most surprising?
The most rewarding aspect was watching the children I taught grow more excited about learning English each week and building closer relationships with them. The most challenging aspect was hearing the difficult stories many defectors shared about their experiences. The most surprising aspect was realizing just how much I still didn’t know, even after studying the topic as an undergrad.
Finished assisting as an intern the UNHRC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) office located in Seoul with their 2-day conference highlighting North Korean defector's stories and human rights violations.
How has YSPH prepared you for this experience?
YSPH prepared me for this experience by equipping me with a strong foundation in public health research and policy analysis, as well as giving me the tools to approach complex health and human rights issues with cultural awareness and empathy.
Posing on our last day of classes with my students
What would you say to a student who is considering a YSPH internship?
I’d encourage them to embrace the opportunity fully. It’s an incredible chance to learn directly from communities, gain perspective beyond the classroom, and see how public health connects with real-world human rights issues.