Elizabeth Cooper

Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Elizabeth found her passion for social justice work at eighteen with the AmeriCorps program City Year. She graduated with academic honors in 2013 from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in urban studies and planning. Elizabeth interned with the BAME Community Development Corporation, where she created a public health program and conducted research on accessibility to health care services. Elizabeth is an avid traveler and has worked with several public health and youth empowerment community organizations across the United States.

Field placement: Adelante Development Center

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Elizabeth developed two initiatives to increase local food security in Albuquerque. In collaboration with the Fiestas Food Initiative, Elizabeth designed and implemented a series of community cooking classes focused on the preparation of nutritious, affordable culturally-appropriate meals while respecting limited budgets. Elizabeth also worked to develop an infrastructure for volunteer training and recruitment for a benefits connection center that streamlines the process of applying for federal benefit programs.

Policy placement: Families USA

Washington, D.C.

As a member of the Medicaid and Enrollment policy teams, Elizabeth worked to increase access to affordable and quality healthcare for low-income consumers. She examined Medicaid system transformation on the state level, and researched enrollment assister programs in state-based health insurance exchanges.

Publications