Through an internship with UWA’s McCusker Centre for Citizenship, student Juliet Morris has contributed 100 hours towards a project that brings together staff across the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) to champion and advocate for environmental sustainability.
Juliet, an East Fremantle resident, is studying a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) majoring in Marine and Environmental Science.
“The highlight of the internship has been learning about all the cool sustainability initiatives occurring across SMHS, which includes Fiona Stanley, Fremantle and Rockingham Hospitals,” said Juliet, who supported the organisation’s Green Ambassador program.
The Green Ambassador program is a network of SMHS staff who are leaders and champions for change in their work areas to help tackle the organisation’s environmental sustainability goals.
As part of the project, Juliet interviewed Green Ambassadors from across different teams, creating profiles, planning events and gatherings, and developing other opportunities to strengthen the program and empower even more people to champion environmental sustainability.
“I have enjoyed meeting everyone, learning about what they do and hearing their unique stories. It was really rewarding”, said Juliet.
Juliet’s supervisor, SMHS Sustainability Officer, Bridget Egan, said “Juliet made a valuable contribution in helping us to build our network of Green Ambassadors. She was quick to understand what was expected of her and worked diligently on the tasks she was assigned. It was great to see her confidence grow in the few weeks she was with SMHS.”
The internship experience has shown Juliet the effort and dedication that goes into workplace initiatives that drive organisational change, especially busy and essential health services such as SMHS.
“I have learnt a lot about the processes and logistical challenges within a large organisation to make ideas and meaningful change actually become reality,” said Juliet.
“I think the internship has opened my eyes to the foundational importance of behind-the-scenes work that has to happen and be made in order for clinical services to run smoothly,” she said.
Juliet says her McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship has given her the confidence to know she has the skills to make a positive impact in a large organisation. She recommends the program to other students.
“It is a great opportunity to volunteer with an organisation that you might not have been able to volunteer with, alongside an incredibly supportive team at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship,” she says.