University of WA Masters of International Development student Nothando Ngwenya is the recipient of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s inaugural Outstanding Intern Award 2019.
About 50 current student interns, members of partner organisations, award finalists and special guests attended the Outstanding Intern Award presentation event at Gentilli Lecture Theatre on November 25, 2019.
The Centre’s Director Michelle Scott welcomed guests and introduced the McCusker Charitable Foundation (MCF) Director and Chairman and former WA Governor, The Honourable Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC; who spoke about the Centre’s history and mission to enable UWA students to give back to their communities through its award-winning internship program.
The Hon. McCusker and fellow MCF Director, Judge Denis Reynolds, then presented Ms Ngwenya and shortlisted award nominees Robbie Glyde, Taylah Jones, Milo Pena, Lily Smith and Laura Thorington-Jones with their certificates.
Following the formal presentation, guests were invited to celebrate over morning tea in the John Glover Meeting Room.
Ms Ngwenya was nominated by her intern supervisor Ashton Kealy, for her internship at Save the Children Australia working on the Youth Partnership Project (YPP).
Ms Ngwenya took ownership of the Gosnells Service Mapping Project, which involved scaling the YPP model and activities to the Gosnells region.
Ms Kealy said this was a large, complex task that was expected to require the efforts of a number of staff members working together, however Ms Ngwenya managed it largely independently.
The team at Save the Children are confident Nothando will continue to be an asset to the community as she grows in her career.
Philosophy Honours student Robbie Glyde was nominated by his supervisor, ConnectGroups CEO Antonella Segre, for “exceeding expectations” in completing his project to conduct research and determine the benefit of Facebook support groups in allowing people to deal with stress.
Media and Communications graduate Taylah Jones was nominated by her supervisor, Zonta House Service Delivery Manager Angie Perkins, for going “above and beyond” with her marketing content creation, assisting many staff, and working outside of the original scope of her internship.
Juris Doctor graduate Milo Pena was nominated by his supervisor, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA solicitor Eloise Langoulant, for demonstrating skills “usually fine-tuned throughout the early years of legal practice” and showing real insight into the difficulties faced by Aboriginal people dealing with the justice system in his internship assisting the Civil and Human Right Law unit.
Bachelor of Arts student Lily Smith was nominated by her supervisor, Anglicare WA Philanthropy and Enterprise Director Tori Anderson, for her work completing six grant application for thousands of dollars’ worth of funding, and approaching her internship with “maturity, grace, and a strong sense of initiative”.
Bachelor of Commerce student Laura Thorington-Jones was nominated by her supervisor, Wungening Aboriginal Corporation Special Project Officer Niall Rhatigan, for exceeding expectations and representing the voices of staff and clients in a “respectful and meaningful way” when creating a three-tiered model for employee engagement.
Nominations for the Outstanding Intern Award for Summer 2019/20 and Semester 1, 2020 will open in early 2020.