One shepherded accused people through the criminal justice system at the federal Public Defender’s Office in Washington, D.C.; another helped Medicaid enrollees and others denied treatment and medication cut through red tape to get services; and a third worked at under-resourced rural schools in the Navajo and Hopi nations.

These are some of the summer projects that recipients of this year’s Presidential Public Service Fellowships shared with President Claudine Gay, faculty, and staff during a gathering at the Harvard Faculty Club on Friday.

Launched in 2011, the initiative gives students the chance to get exposure to community service programs and encourages them to consider public service careers. About a dozen or so from across the University are selected and receive financial support to work in fields such as education, public health, government, and social services, where the need — and challenges — are often most acute.

Hilary Adeleke ’24, a history of science concentrator with a secondary in global health and health policy, said her summer work “really affirmed that you can marry medicine policy and sustainable healthcare within a low-income context.”

One of five Harvard College fellows, Adeleke worked as a case-manager intern for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, connecting clients with critical services. She also volunteered at St. Francis House in downtown Boston providing care at the organization’s foot clinic — a common medical problem area for those experiencing homelessness.

“It was just really eye-opening to me. Although medicine can be seen as objective, it’s not necessarily apolitical, and you really see the impact of policy on these people’s everyday lives,” Adeleke said.