Celia Heath was an intern for Public Habit. She is majoring in Literary Arts at Brown University.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I was born and raised in NYC, and am currently a rising junior at Brown University. I am half Italian on my mom’s side, and spent many summers growing up in Italy with family learning about my heritage.
How was your life impacted by COVID-19?
I was sent home early from school and lost my internship due to COVID-19. More importantly, my dad is a doctor at one of the main NYC hospitals and worked in the COVID-19 ICUs for a couple of months during the height of the crisis in New York. When the PPE was really low in the hospitals, my mom and I did a lot of networking through friends in the tri-state area and were able to collect and deliver over 20,000 masks for his hospital. We haven’t been able to properly spend time with my dad for a few months because he has had to quarantine separately from us. I miss living with him and getting to see him every day but am happy and proud of what he is doing to help patients.
Tell us about the company you interned for and what you worked on.
I interned for Public Habit, a startup sustainable fashion company. The project I worked on this summer is about supply chain transparency: how to educate customers about sustainability and make it relevant to their purchase decisions and their lives.
Has there been a certain project or experience during your internship that you would like to share?
I loved my meetings with one of the CEOs, Sydney, who also went to Brown. She is so smart, engaging, and encouraging, and gives me a lot of confidence in what I am doing. I am excited to continue working with her and am lucky to have her as a mentor.
What are some goals for a future career?
I want to be able to make a difference in the world in whatever industry I end up in. That’s part of the reason I love the project that I’m working on this summer; it is fun and fascinating, but it is also a project that is helping to educate consumers about the importance of sustainability and saving the environment.
Who are your role models/ inspires you? Why?
My mom. She is a superwoman! Not only has she been an incredible mother to two children, but she also had a successful career while raising us. That takes so much strength and dedication.
What do you consider your superpower?
Organization! I’m not sure if that really counts as a superpower, but I credit a lot of my achievements to my ability to be organized and diligent.
