UWA student Alessia Maio recently contributed 100 hours to assist with the Future Leaders program, along with other projects, at Como Secondary College through a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship.
Alessia has just completed studying for a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Italian Studies, and said interning with the College, building rapport with students and providing them with support, was “the most phenomenal experience” in her UWA experience, and the perfect way to end her undergraduate degree.
“My main project was working with a group of Year 8 and 9 students, the Future Leaders. We worked together to increase school connectedness, student engagement and general well-being, by running various events and activities,” Alessia said.
“This program aimed to develop the students’ leadership skills and encourage them to get involved in a range of activities; being involved not only benefitted them in terms of personal growth and skill development, but also contributed to bettering the school and broader community.
“I was fortunate to work closely with the Student Services Team to provide support to students. In some cases, students were facing personal life issues that were affecting their school attendance, well-being, or academic performance, and I was able to provide a safe and empathetic space for these students to express their concerns and seek guidance,” she said.
Michael Foster, Student Services Coordinator at Como Secondary College, said that Alessia had been a "breath of fresh air".
“Alessia was an enthusiastic and dedicated intern who assisted with the Future Leader Program by developing and running new leadership opportunities and initiatives to help build leadership within our future leader group and student council,” he said.
“She was always willing to help the team out and earned the respect of all the students that she worked with. Students and staff at Como Secondary College found her to be approachable, friendly and genuine in all of her dealings with them.”
Having worked previously in classroom settings, Alessia said that being a part of Student Services had broadened her experience - she helped with tasks needing immediate attention, as well as preparing for events and assisting with administration work.
“My internship has taught me invaluable skills that can be carried into my professional life - prior to my internship, I had a fear of public speaking, but throughout the experience, I became more comfortable with this. I also learned how to use Excel and multiple other programs connected to the Department of Education.”
Alessia’s efforts made an impression with staff at the College, so much so that she has a full-time contract for the rest of the 2023 school year and will return as relief staff for Student Services in 2024.
“My internship truly opened my eyes to all the issues that our youth are facing on a daily basis. It made me realise how much we take for granted and encouraged me to want to make a difference to make the world a better place.”