La Follette health policy certificate student Sarah Koker is the recipient of the 2025-26 Brenton Health Policy Scholarship. The annual scholarship recognizes an exceptional student who is passionate about health policy. This year’s scholarship helped fund Koker’s internship with the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce, an interdisciplinary organization addressing healthcare workforce challenges.
Koker, who is a junior majoring in nutritional sciences, began her internship in October. She has already worked on several impactful projects, including planning the council’s annual Workforce Summit, producing content for the monthly newsletter, and fostering relationships with stakeholders to advance workforce development strategies.
Koker has enjoyed this opportunity to apply her global health and health policy studies in a real-world setting, and she believes it has made a significant impact on her career path.
“Receiving this scholarship was instrumental for my understanding of how policy is directed. It has not only complemented my classes with real-life scenarios, but it has also affirmed my commitment to pursuing a career in healthcare,” Koker said.
The internship has also deepened Koker’s understanding of the complexities of the healthcare system and provided her with valuable mentorship critical to better understanding the environment.
“This internship has taught me how policy and workforce development shape patient care. My supervisor, George Quinn, has been the best mentor throughout this experience, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from him,” Koker said.
The scholarship was created in 2016 to honor Stephen Brenton, a UW–Madison alum who served as President and CEO of the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) from 2002 to 2015. Brenton’s advocacy helped shape the healthcare landscape in Wisconsin and across the country. The Brenton Scholarship was created and endowed with financial contributions from WHA members.
“I’m honored that this award continues to help students develop skills and an interest in health policy, and I am thrilled that Sarah’s internship with the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce has been so fruitful,” Brenton said. “They are a wonderful organization at the forefront of finding creative solutions to addressing the workforce shortage in healthcare, perhaps the most significant challenge facing the industry.”
The Brenton scholarship shares the La Follette School’s commitment to providing students with meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities outside of the classroom. It is made possible thanks to support from the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
After this enriching experience, Koker looks forward to contributing to a critically important field that needs skilled and committed leaders to solve the difficult problems facing healthcare.
“I’ve developed a much deeper appreciation for how intricate and fragile the healthcare system can be, and how essential it is to have leaders working proactively to ensure that communities have access to adequate care,” Koker said.