Each year, Cigna selects up to 15 employees as The Cigna Group’s Community Ambassador Fellows and awards each person as much as three months of paid leave and up to $20,000 to develop and launch programs to improve the health and well-being of people around the globe.
Since 2017, The Cigna Group Fellows have followed their passions to make lasting changes in the communities we serve. In 2022 alone, these employees have done important work in seven U.S. states and four countries.
This year’s class is kicking off a wide variety of projects. Meet the class of 2023 below, and learn more about their important work.
Jasmine Baten will partner with World-Wide Lighthouse Missions to help people in Manchester, Connecticut, who are in financial need after experiencing a traumatic event. Her project will develop community partnerships and processes to maintain consistent aid and donations.
Riley Bundren will partner with The Tegan and Sara Foundation to help members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States find inclusive healthcare by launching a database of providers who specialize in LGBTQ+ care and ensuring it stays relevant.
Kelly Cates will partner with the Forrest Spence Fund to expand access and opportunities for counseling and community support for family members grieving the loss of a child or caring for a chronically ill child in Tennessee.
Sydney Cohen will partner with the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine to provide hands-on nutrition education to families in New Orleans, Louisiana, who are struggling with diabetes.
Jennifer Kabiu will partner with Usikimye in Nairobi and Kiambu counties, Kenya, to help young girls and female adolescents who’ve experienced gender-based violence find assistance without fear of retaliation from their abusers.
Ashley Kinney will partner with Prevention Partnership to reduce deaths due to opioid overdoses in the Chicago, Illinois, area.
Helena Kriel will partner with Canine Inspired Change to help youths who’ve experienced trauma by connecting them with therapy dogs in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Gabrielle Lopez will partner with Project Headspace and Timing to provide struggling veterans in Kankakee County, Illinois, with access to mental health services.
Andrea Maney will partner with The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs in Newtown, Connecticut, to spread education and awareness of federal laws to reduce discrimination faced by service dog handlers.
Niki McKnight will partner with Spruce Street Community Development in Nashville, Tennessee, to purchase major kitchen items for the feeding program at Spruce Street Baptist Church to provide food security for homeless people, the working poor, homebound children, and seniors.
Elizabeth McLean will partner with Children's Hospital Colorado to provide testing and resources for children in Denver who have cancer and whose insurance does not cover diagnostic testing.
Shelly McMillan will partner with Help at Your Door to provide food security for senior citizens on fixed incomes in Minnesota who cannot afford increasing food prices.
Danny Norbury will partner with Colin's Wish to help people across the U.S. impacted by a loved one’s addiction by providing podcasts to help them overcome feelings of guilt and helplessness.
Sofie Peeters will partner with Hadithi Crafts community-based organization to improve reproductive health by empowering women and girls in Tsavo County, Kenya, through dialogue and education.
Marvin Wolgast will partner with Innov8 Africa to provide computers in three classrooms for children in the Maasai tribe in Kenya to improve their education and exposure to the global economy.
Careers at The Cigna Group
At The Cigna Group, we’ve made our commitment to help everyone live healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives. We’re making real progress, but we still have work to do. That’s where you come in.