Fio is a UWA Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in International Relations and Communications and Media Studies, and he recently helped to get the word out about the University’s Doctor of Optometry (OD) course through his McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship.
“In my internship role, I was responsible for making a video to promote the UWA Doctor of Optometry course,” Fio said.
“I was surprised to learn the major role Optometry can play in disease prevention; encouraging future students to undertake the course can play a part in safeguarding the health of members of the community,”
With the OD course recently established, the internship role was designed for an intern to help spread awareness of the importance of access to quality eye care in WA.
Associate Professor Khyber Alam, Course Director for Doctor of Optometry was Fio’s internship supervisor and said that Fio’s internship was a collaborative and productive experience.
“I had the opportunity to work closely with Fio on developing promotional material for the university,
“Fio's dedication and creativity were evident throughout the process,” Associate Professor Alam said.
“Fio showed a genuine interest in understanding the role Optometry plays in disease prevention and community health - it was inspiring to witness his enthusiasm and commitment to encouraging future students to pursue this course, thereby contributing to the well-being of the community,” he said.
“I provided guidance and feedback to Fio, and he was receptive to suggestions, which allowed him to continually improve and refine his work,”
As well as learning about eye health and its significance for community health more broadly, Fio said that he’d got a lot out of the experience of working with the Optometry academic team.
“It really was an eye-opening experience, it allowed me to reflect on myself, and gave me insights on working in a professional office setting,
“My supervisor was really interested in the progress I made, and provided me with valuable feedback in order to improve,
“The internship was also fun, all the staff were supportive and nice!”