15 SELECTED AS KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
2008 BARBARA JORDAN HEALTH POLICY SCHOLARS

Washington, D.C. - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has chosen 15 college seniors and recent college graduates to be the 2008 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars. The Scholars Program provides young professionals with an opportunity to learn about health policy issues and the health policymaking process on Capitol Hill.

The scholars focus on health policy issues affecting racial and ethnic minority groups and underserved communities. The scholars are challenged to identify how policymakers can better meet the health needs of traditionally disadvantaged groups. Under the guidance of Kaiser policy staff, scholars analyze current health policy topics such as Medicare, Medicaid and the uninsured, and HIV/AIDS to produce individual policy memos, and then work in small teams to present their findings at a Kaiser forum.

The Foundation established the Barbara Jordan Scholars Program in memory of former U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan—the first African American woman elected to Congress from Texas and a deeply respected member of the Foundation’s board of trustees.
 
“The Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program helps students build practical health policy expertise by wrestling with challenges facing underserved communities across the United States,” said Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman. “This program honors Barbara’s legacy, and she would be proud to see these talented and motivated students advancing her goals.”

The program is designed to introduce scholars to how the federal legislative process works and to build their understanding of current health policy issues. The scholars are assigned to congressional offices in Washington, DC for nine weeks. They participate in seminars and site visits organized by the Foundation to broaden their knowledge of the roles different organizations play in the development of federal health policies.

This year’s scholars were chosen from among more than 200 applicants. Cara James, Ph.D., senior policy analyst on race, ethnicity and health care at the Foundation, directs the Scholars Program, which operates in partnership with Howard University.

More information about the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program is available online.

The 15 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars for 2008 are:

Winoka Begay
Hometown: Shiprock, N.M.
School: The University of New Mexico
Major: English (Pre-Law) and Native American Studies
Placement:  Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.)  

Erika Flores
Hometown: South Gate, Calif.
School: University of Southern California
Major: Health Promotion & Disease Prevention and Biology
Placement: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)  

Sharayah Foster
Hometown: Sand Point, Alaska
School: Washington State University
Major: Psychology
Placement: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska))

Nicholas Gordon
Hometown: Fort Washington, Md.
School: Morehouse College
Major: Biology
Placement: Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) 

Cedric James
Hometown: Austin, Texas
School: Texas State University
Major: Public Administration
Placement: House Energy and Commerce Committee (Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)) 

Mia Keeys
Hometown: Collingdale, Pa.
School: Cheyney University
Major: Psychology and English
Placement: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)  

Tarik Kitson
Hometown: Greensboro, N.C.
School: State University of New York at Geneseo
Major: Anthropology
Placement: Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)  

Antoine Marshall
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
School: Claflin University
Major: American Studies
Placement: Del. Donna Christensen (D-USVI)  

Angel Martinez
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
School: University of California, Santa Cruz
Major: Health Science and Community Studies
Placement: Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.)

Sable Nelson
Hometown: Dalton, Ga.
School: Howard University
Major: Political Science and Biology
Placement: Senate HELP Committee (Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)) 

Raina Roan
Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M.
School: University of New Mexico
Major: English
Placement: Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)  

Cleo Samuel
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
School: University of Miami
Major: Psychology
Placement: Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)

Natalia Sanchez
Hometown: Racine, Wis.
School: Vanderbilt University
Major: Biology and Spanish
Placement: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Mai Vang
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
School: University of San Francisco
Major: Biology and Sociology
Placement: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)

Javier Zarate
Hometown: Palm Springs, Calif.
School: University of California, San Diego
Major: Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Placement: Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)

The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health care issues to policymakers, the media, the health care community and the general public. The Foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries.

# # #