Eight University of Western Australia students and recent graduates have been named recipients of the 2026 McCusker Centre for Citizenship Outstanding Intern Award, recognising their exceptional contributions to projects across the community, government, health, research and not-for-profit sectors.
The award recipients were selected from 105 outstanding nominees, all recognised by their supervisors for making significant contributions through their McCusker Centre for Citizenship internships.
The 2026 Outstanding Intern Award recipients are:
- Alannah Yuen – Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services
- Barun Chhetri – Master of Business Analytics, City of Canning
- Billie-Jo Robinson – Bachelor of Psychology, Rockingham General Hospital
- Hien Tran – Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised), Lions Eye Institute
- Jovan Wylen – Master of Data Science, St John Western Australia
- Md Mehabub Rahat Akash – Master of Business Analytics, Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety
- Stephanie De Luca – Bachelor of Human Sciences, Neurofibromatosis Association of WA
- Tegan Espinos – Bachelor of Science, Advocacy WA
The projects addressed a diverse range of community challenges and opportunities, including improving outcomes in healthcare, strengthening disability inclusion, supporting child safety, enhancing government services, improving community coordination, contributing to medical research, and advancing public policy and social impact initiatives.
Among the recipients was Stephanie De Luca, whose internship with the Neurofibromatosis Association of Western Australia helped establish the foundations of a major education initiative designed to improve awareness and support for children and young people living with neurofibromatosis.
“The internship gave me a chance to develop my research and problem-solving skills in a unique environment, but what made the experience so meaningful was seeing how closely the work connected with the wider community,” Stephanie said.
Jovan Wylen was recognised for his contribution to patient safety and clinical quality improvement at St John Western Australia. During his placement, he analysed more than 36,000 patient records relating to sepsis and chest pain, producing findings that will support paramedic education and improve patient care across Western Australia.
His supervisor, Kevin Keane, said Jovan delivered far more than originally expected.
“He effectively delivered three substantial pieces of analytical work in the time allotted for one,” he said.
Md Mehabub Rahat Akash was recognised for supporting the development of the Alcohol Harm Analysis and Risk Monitoring (AHARM) dashboard with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety. Working with incomplete data from multiple agencies, Akash developed a functional prototype and practical data-sharing templates that will help inform future efforts to identify and respond to alcohol-related harm across Western Australia.
Billie-Jo Robinson was recognised for her contribution to a quality improvement project at Rockingham General Hospital focused on family and domestic violence screening practices within maternity care. Her research and analysis are helping inform improvements to how patients are screened and how support can be provided to those experiencing family and domestic violence.
“Awareness is everything when it comes to this,” Billie-Jo said. “If screening happens more regularly, it helps us as a community better recognise the issue.”
Director of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, Michelle Scott OAM, said selecting the recipients from such a high-calibre field was a difficult task.
“The nominations received this year were exceptionally strong, and choosing the award recipients was incredibly challenging,” Ms Scott said.
“The achievements of all nominees were truly outstanding. It is inspiring to see the impact these students have had in communities across Western Australia through their internships.”
“The success of the program would not be possible without the support of our host organisations and partners, who invest their time, expertise and resources into providing meaningful opportunities for students to contribute and grow.”
Since 2016, the McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship program has facilitated nearly 6,500 internships with more than 650 partner organisations, with students contributing more than 650,000 hours to projects benefiting communities throughout Western Australia.