Professional Collection
About Me
Hi, I'm Michelle Everett — a senior at Old Dominion University studying Public Health. For as long as I can remember, I've been drawn to people. There's something about genuine connection, fellowship, and showing up for others that has always felt like home. That love for community led me to public health, a field that lets me combine my passion for building relationships with meaningful work that improves people's lives. I'm especially passionate about working with older adults — a calling that began in high school, when I worked in nursing homes and discovered how much joy and wisdom those connections can bring.
Today, I'm putting that passion into practice through my internship with Buffalow Family & Friends Community Days, a local nonprofit in Chesapeake, VA. They run a community food pantry that strives to combat food insecurity and provide other daily essentials to growing families and the often forgotten senior community. Starting in her own kitchen, Nischelle Buffalow has dedicated her life to ensuring that seniors and community members are fed and always have access to fresh food, public resources, and health education.
Professional Goal 1
To bridge the gap between community health needs and local assets by researching, designing, and distributing an accessible mental health resource brochure for Buffalow Family & Friends by the end of the internship. I will achieve this by mapping free local services, applying plain-language health literacy standards in the design, and integrating the brochure into the pantry's existing food distribution lines to reach seniors and families.
Professional Goal 2
During the internship, I hope to strengthen community food security and improve nutritional equity among vulnerable local populations by actively collaborating with the pantry team to streamline the distribution of fresh foods, assessing the specific dietary needs of the local senior community, and ensuring that resource delivery is both dignified and efficient.
Professional Goal 3
To apply evidence-based public health principles and data tracking to grassroots community health interventions, I will monitor and document community engagement patterns during distribution days, analyze feedback to refine program outreach, and translate my academic research methods into actionable solutions for the organization.
Professional Inquiries
Location
Chesapeake, Virginia
mever019@odu.edu
Phone
01.4527° N
07.3388° W