UWA students Faith Hart and Tashuana Munn complete their Pingelly Somerset Alliance internship

by Pelican Press
3 minutes read

UWA students Faith Hart and Tashuana Munn complete their Pingelly Somerset Alliance internship

Two University of Western Australia students have completed their internship in Pingelly where they have supported local health and aged care projects while learning about rural life.

Faith Hart and Tashuana Munn completed their summer internships with Pingelly Somerset Alliance where they spent three days a week facilitated by the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA from November 12 to December 12.

The Centre gives undergraduate and postgraduate UWA students the opportunity to make a difference in the community by offering structured 100-hour internships with not-for-profit, community and government organisations.

Biomedical science student Ms Hart conducted research for a cottage respite facility during her internship, leaning on her university major in humanities and health in medicine and minor in women’s health.

Ms Hart said the experience gave her new perspectives on health care in regional WA.

“My research looked at how a cottage respite facility would function under the new Aged Care Act 2024,” she said.

“I am now more likely to be able to work in a regional area to provide those services that are lacking, while the work I have already done through my internship will help local community ‘age in place’.”

“I was exposed to a tight-knit community that I hadn’t seen in the metro area . . . I think there is a sense of camaraderie in regional areas that helped me get out of my shell more than I usually would have.”

Double-majoring in psychology and music and sound design, Ms Munn worked on logistics for a Pingelly-based food preparation and delivery service.

“Everyone working out of the Pingelly Community Resource Centre is busy, so my contribution to the meal service project and other activities allowed this work to advance much faster, particularly at a busy time of the year,” she said.

“The meal service will allow seniors on HCPs to get fresh and locally made meals weekly, putting money back into the local community rather than going with one of the larger commercial suppliers.”

Staying in Place co-ordinator Helen Morton said both students had been outstanding.

“Having Faith and Tash as part of the team was a huge boost — bringing advanced research capabilities, new perspectives, fantastic interpersonal skills, and new policies and procedures related to their respective projects,” Ms Morton said.

“The long-term health and wellbeing of our older residents has greatly benefited from having such competent interns.

“By immersing the interns into the real lifestyle of our small rural community, they are better able to respond to the needs of people living in these communities in their future professional roles. It is a win-win outcome.”



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