Emma Simpson is studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Neuroscience and Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at UWA, and branched out to undertake an internship with St Patrick’s Community Support Centre’s communications team through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship (the Centre).
Despite the internship being Emma’s first experience working in an office setting, she settled in to quickly make a positive impact and was nominated by her supervisor for the Centre’s Outstanding Intern Award.
“I applied for the internship because I liked the idea of doing something that could actually make a difference in the community while simultaneously gaining transferable skills and experience in a workplace setting,” Emma said.
“My major project was to draft an interactive student handbook for future students completing a placement or internship at St Pat’s, providing them with all the information they might need to start their role. I also converted this into digital content for a new section on the organisation’s newly developing intranet.
“In the Communications team, I quickly became aware of just how important those working behind-the-scenes are in the success of an organisation and its ability to benefit the community. As a very introverted person, I always worried that I would struggle to make a difference in society, but seeing how valuable the work of my supervisor and her team is for St Pat’s has definitely changed my perspective and that’s quite exciting to me,” she said.
St Pat’s is one of the Centre’s important partners, providing UWA students with outstanding opportunities to make a difference through their internships.
Sophie Moore, St Pat’s Communications Coordinator, said that Emma had gone beyond her comfort zone, applying her skillset in new and innovative ways with a clear focus on the needs and goals of the organisation.
“As a community service organisation, St Pat's has a lot of students and interns who need supervision. This can be challenging due to the fast-paced environment, steep learning curve and cultural sensitivities required across all parts of the organisation,” Ms Moore said.
“Emma’s work has given us a resource for students and interns that is accessible, and can be updated easily, and has already made the jobs of our team leaders easier.
“She also created digital assets for clients, which is not normally a task we would give to an intern, but she demonstrated an ability to produce sensitive, thoughtful content for highly vulnerable people experiencing the extreme stress of homelessness. These digital brochures can be used for our clients and fellow service providers, helping us reach the people who need it most.”
Emma said that the internship experience had exceeded her expectations, and that being matched with a role that wasn’t directly related to her degree had been a fantastic opportunity to make a difference, meet inspiring people, and develop social awareness.
“My internship opened my eyes to both the severity and complexity of chronic homelessness, as well as the challenges faced by organisations trying to solve the issue. It was inspiring to see how many different programs and initiatives St Pat’s has, trying to tackle as many facets of this complex issue as possible, in the most dignifying way possible for those experiencing it.”