Bobby Zheng is interning with The Kids Research Institute Australia (The Kids) in Semester 1, bringing together his knack for design and what he has learned as a UWA Psychology student to help with community education and engagement projects.
Bobby was matched with his internship role through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s program and has already made such a positive impact that his supervisor has nominated him for the Centre’s Outstanding Intern Award.
“I applied for the McCusker Centre’s internship program because I wanted to get involved with meaningful, community-focussed work. I wanted to build on my communication skills, make professional connections, and add a practical element to my degree.
“The internship with The Kids has been an excellent opportunity to diversify my degree and learn how my studies can help me make a difference,” Bobby said.
Working primarily with Embrace, a research collaboration at The Kids devoted to the mental health of infants, children, young people and families, Bobby has assisted with communications.
“I’ve been able to create news items and social media posts to communicate mental health-related news to community groups. I attended a university open day with the Community Engagement Team where we asked young people about what mental health topics they are interested in. And I’ve been able to help organise podcast recordings, create content for the Embrace magazine, and script survey questions.”
A personal highlight for Bobby was working on promotional material for the T1D (type-1 diabetes) youth program.
“As someone with type-1 diabetes, being able to create something to encourage young people with T1D to participate in programs to help them was really fulfilling.”
Jack Boronovskis, Communications Specialist at The Kids and internship supervisor, said that Bobby had made a strong impression across the teams he had worked with.
“Bobby rapidly became a much-loved team member at The Kids. Within his first week with Embrace, it was apparent that he had the right combination of proficiencies, research experience and willingness to learn to be a valuable member of the team.
“Thanks to Bobby’s contribution, we’ve revisited past recruitment flyers to make them more relevant to young people, and we have fast-tracked production of the third season of our podcast.
“Bobby developed close relationships with researchers that will prove valuable if he decides on a career in our field,” Mr Boronovskis said.
It is also clear to Bobby that the internship will help as he continues in his studies and early career:
“My work at this internship has been teaching me a lot of practical skills, such as workflow, social skills, and professional etiquette. It’s also helping me learn a lot about what mental health means and how it affects minorities and others who need support.”