Neha Pathare is specialising in Software Systems in her Master of Information Technology degree at UWA, and recently put her skills into action supporting vulnerable members of the community through an internship with St Patrick’s Community Support Centre (St Pat’s).
“I wanted to apply my IT skills in a way that contributed to the community, so I applied for an internship through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship; their program stood out for providing opportunities to use my knowledge to make a positive social impact for challenges like homelessness and inequality,” Neha said.
“In my internship role at St Pat’s, I worked on an AI-powered chatbot that is being integrated into the public-facing website to provide 24/7 access to essential service information including housing support, meal availability, medical services and emergency assistance.”
Visiting St Pat’s day centre was an important moment for Neha as she developed a personal and human understanding of the difference her internship contribution could make.
“I saw first hand how individuals rely on St Pat’s for meals, showers, and shelter, and it was humbling and empowering to realise that the chatbot I was developing could be someone’s first step toward finding help and a better lifestyle,” Neha said.
“One of the most challenging aspects was optimising the chatbot for real-world accessibility. In this context, integrating a natural language interface with a large language model required careful prompt design and fall back mechanisms to handle ambiguous queries gracefully.
“Working on this project made me realise how essential empathy is in technology. I used to think of software as neutral, but now I understand that how we design systems can either empower or exclude people. Working closely with an organisation that supports those experiencing homelessness helped me see how tech can uphold dignity when done right.”
Lyn Levy, Director of Corporate Services at St Pat’s, said that Neha had quickly become a great asset to the team.
“Neha took the time to really understand what we do and how it connected to the project we set for her,” Ms Levy said.
“She began developing a prototype for a St Pat’s Chatbot, which, once completed, will significantly improve our ability to reach more people in the community seeking services, while also easing the load on our already busy reception team.
“We were especially impressed by Neha’s enthusiasm and her genuine desire to make a difference through technology.”
Looking back at her internship experience, Neha recognised the depth of her technical learning thanks to the real-world application, as well as the motivation she had gained for a meaningful career in tech.
“Along with the chatbot, I built a feedback form that collected and stored important information securely in a format that streamlined processes, and implemented a call logging system to visualise call volumes and reasons – these experiences sharpened my skills with large language models and increased my understanding of AI,” she said.
“It was more than an internship. It was a chance to grow as a professional and a person, and see my work have an immediate impact. I walked away not only with skills, but with a renewed sense of purpose.
“My experience with St Pat’s has made me more passionate about using technology for public good, especially in the not-for-profit space.”
Image: Neha (second from left) with members of the St Patrick Community Support Centre team.