Yan Jing has remained committed to using her public health and nutrition expertise to help underserved communities in her home country of Malaysia.

Yan Jing Phay is earning her Master of Public Health in Nutrition Science with the goal of becoming a Registered Dietitian and making a difference through effective community-based interventions. From the outset of her studies, Yan Jing has remained committed to using her public health and nutrition expertise to help underserved communities in her home country of Malaysia, especially in rural areas where community programs that address the food insecurity of women and children are most limited.

Most recently, Yan Jing returned to Hong Kong (where she completed her undergraduate studies and previous volunteer work) for a summer internship with Youth with a Mission, a faith-based NGO that provides holistic care and food assistance to low-income families, older adults, and other underserved communities. The internship offered Yan Jing the opportunity to work with local communities and learn about the operation and management of food security-related programs. She also made an impact by developing nutrition education presentations and materials for the food assistance programs’ recipients. The experience was particularly meaningful as Hong Kong’s social and food culture is similar to Malaysia’s, and programs that are implemented and running well in Hong Kong can be a strong reference for Yan Jing’s future work in Malaysia.

Yan Jing’s professors and mentors at U-M underscore her sensitivity in working with vulnerable populations and her personal resolve to reduce food insecurity. She is known as a “focused,” “disciplined,” and “determined” professional and has been further recognized with an NSF International Graduate Award. Beyond her studies, Yan Jing also served as a program staff member at the Maize and Blue Cupboard, offering dietary guidance for patrons, and as a Health Ambassador with Project Healthy Schools, providing weekly nutrition and physical activity education to middle school students.

CEW+ applauds Yan Jing’s remarkable commitment to the health of her communities and names her the Gutsy Broad Fellow.