Sam Anderson-Mayes, a Bachelor of Music on Classical Voice student at UWA, supported the work of the UWA Centre for Social Policy and Practice, Research and Development (the Centre) through an internship at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, and had such an impact that her supervisors nominated her for the Outstanding Intern Award.
Sam contributed 100 hours through her internship, in which time she assisted the Centre in marketing and brand, research and outreach.
“I developed a web page, social media pages, and marketing materials, completed a literature review on the connection between poverty and child maltreatment, as well as attending and recording my experiences of various events and outreach programs related to social policy,” she said.
“I am vastly more aware of homelessness, poverty, and child maltreatment, and the risk factors associated with each,
“The work I undertook should help the Centre to gain more traction and publicise their amazing research, as well as giving them a concrete brand base from which to collaborate with other centres,” Sam said.
“They are holding their first official symposium in the middle of this year and the marketing content I helped create will hopefully aid them in advertising that,”
Dr Susan Young, one of Sam’s supervisors during her internship with the Centre, said that her contribution had advanced their work.
“Through her diligent and conscientious attention to detail, her ability to navigate complex systems and through sheer determination, Sam established our website, making our work more accessible to our constituency,
“More than this though, Sam very quickly embraced the social justice ethos of the Centre and initiated her own activities in this area which now form vignettes and case examples of the work that can be done to make a difference in people’s lives,” Dr Young said.
“Sam came into the Intern role at the Centre with an already well-developed work ethic; she was personable, willing to learn and keen to undertake the required tasks,
“What she demonstrated throughout was a high level of professionalism, with corresponding empathy, relationship building skills, reflectivity and ability to respond appropriately to sometimes challenging circumstances,
“This enthusiasm and commitment is an asset in the social service field and beyond,” she said.
Sam said that, as well as making a difference in important work, the internship experience would help her in ongoing study and future professional life.
“University can become a bit of a bubble, and I wanted to expand my perspective on the world,
“My internship threw me into a sphere I had very little experience in, which allowed me to prove my own adaptability and quick learning; it gave me the confidence to believe that I can be a capable and valuable employee,” she said.
The Outstanding Intern Award recognises McCusker Centre for Citizenship student interns who have significantly contributed to their host organisation and community during their internship.