mission statement
The RAC Fund for Social Justice will work to support Rebecca’s dreams of improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform. Rebecca believed that health is a basic human right, not a privilege for some. And she therefore also believed that major public policy and system reforms were needed to ensure that everyone has equal access to all of the main social determinants of health – quality education, safe physical environments, food security, affordable housing, and affordable and quality health care--regardless of race, income, or where people live. Rebecca also believed that the U.S. health care system, including hospitals and insurance plans with their major resources and influence, needed to be reformed to have a stronger focus on prevention, community health, and the social factors that drive health inequality.
The overall mission of the RAC Fund for Social Justice is to keep Rebecca’s dream for health equity alive. To reach this goal, the fund will provide scholarships to like-minded University of Michigan graduate students who are committed to the same vision and goals as Rebecca, and who are also investing in dual graduate degrees that combine deep training in both public policy/advocacy/system reform and health, including public health and medical care.
Funds could also be disbursed to tax exempt organizations working toward the goals Rebecca believed and organizations that impacted Rebecca’s life.
Year-End Message from Rebecca's Family
To the Supporters of the Rebecca A. Copeland Fund for Social Justice,
It’s been 40 months since the Rebecca A. Copeland Fund for Social Justice was established in memory of Rebecca. Though her potential was cut short, we created this Fund to continue her mission of promoting greater equality, particularly in health and healthcare. The Fund primarily supports University of Michigan graduate students in dual degree programs similar to Rebecca's, empowering them to drive social change. In 2024, we are proud to welcome our seventh and eighth RAC Fund Scholars. You can learn more about them on our this page.
As tuition costs rise, we’ve increased our scholarships and expanded funding for professional development, enabling scholars to attend conferences and build industry connections.
In 2024, we continued supporting the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT), where Rebecca worked during her graduate studies. CHRT has honored her by naming their internship program after her, a testament to the lasting impact she had there. Learn more about Rebecca’s work with CHRT under the Initiatives tab.
Thanks to a successful Giving Tuesday campaign, we were also able to sponsor three campers to attend Camp Marimeta for Girls, where Rebecca spent many formative summers. The camp has honored her memory with Becca’s Book House, a space for sharing books, and a Book Drive that stocked it for the summer.
We are deeply grateful for the support the Fund has received over the past 40 months. Rebecca’s legacy continues to touch many lives, and we miss her every day. Since her passing, our family has grown to include two sets of twins! Three boys and one girl - all named after the aunt they never met.
Thank you for helping us honor Rebecca’s memory. To contribute, please click here.
With gratitude and love,
David, Elizabeth, Sarah, Jason, Jonathan, and Mallory
2024 In review
Shayla Harrison named chrt’s Rebecca copeland memorial intern for 2024
The Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) is a nonprofit health policy center at the University of Michigan. CHRT works to transform data and research into useful information that can be used to craft policies and practices that improve the health of people and communities.
Shayla Harrison was selected as the 2024 Copeland Memorial Intern because she is deeply connected to CHRT’s mission to provide evidence-based recommendations to inform policy, facilitate the integration between health, mental health, and social service providers. She will focus on supporting work that resonates with Rebecca’s commitment to addressing and supporting key issues such as affordable care, medicaid policy, mental health, and substance abuse.
Rebecca Copeland worked as an intern with CHRT from 2019-2021 while she was a graduate student at the University of Michigan Schools of Public Health and Public Policy. Rebecca was dedicated to improving health and health systems for vulnerable populations. At CHRT, she brought enthusiasm and excellence to her work and was immediately identified as a highly capable analyst.
Ford School Recognizes 2024
Rebecca a. Copeland fellows
Shannon Gielow (MPP/MSW ‘26) and Ellie Bai (MPP/MPH ‘25) were chosen for their commitment to public service and focus on promoting health equality.
Shannon Gielow is pursuing a dual degree with Social Work. Her focus is on juvenile youth, and wants to "help disassemble the cycle of systemic involvement that many minorities and impoverished individuals are forced into." She has experience working in MSU's Adolescent Diversion program, an 18-week intervention program where she was assigned to a youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and also interned in Intensive Neglect Services within the Family Division Court in Lansing.
Ellie Bai is pursuing a dual degree with Public Health (Health Management and Policy). Her focus is on addressing the "gaps resulting from socioeconomic status across communities and countries." Her application outlines her experience navigating the healthcare system when she came to the U.S. as a teenager ("7 referrals, 4 hospitalizations, 2 surgeries, over 30 clinic bills, a 3-year gap from school, and 12 months of mental healing—all because of a 1-inch break on my cheekbone"). She's committed to health equity and believes that "health cannot be defined as a human right unless the gaps are responsibly identified, fulfilled, and protected."
The fellowship was established by the Copeland family in fall 2021 in memory of Rebecca Copeland (MPP/MPH ’21). Rebecca tragically lost her life just months after completing her dual master’s degrees at the University of Michigan and on the verge of beginning a career of tremendous impact in health policy. Rebecca was devoted to achieving health equity by improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform.
REmembering REbecca
STUDENT, TEACHER, COLLEAGUE, FRIEND
In her time at the University of Michigan, she had a profound impact on the people who knew her. The community that was touched by Rebecca stretches across states, the nation, and even international borders.
sCHOLARSHIP
SUPPORTING FUTURE LEADERS
The first grants $17,000 scholarships from the RAC Fund were awarded to two dual degree masters students at the University of Michigan in 2021. Both are pursuing dreams and objectives similar to Rebecca’s. Our hope is that Rebecca’s aspirations have inspired others to take bold action and pursue careers that impact our society. Together, we can build a community of well-educated, thoughtful individuals dedicated to improving the lives of many.
Bringing Change
The RAC Fund for Social Justice will work to support Rebecca A. Copeland’s dreams of improving health and health care for everyone through bold policy change and health system reform.
Officers
David Copeland
Elizabeth Copeland
Sarah Kozin
Jason Kozin
Jonathan Copeland
Mallory Copeland
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