Tea (Tsztung) Tsang is a UWA international student, who applied for a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship to gain a greater understanding of the local community and not-for-profit organisations, and was matched with a role at St Patrick’s Community Support Centre in Fremantle.
Studying Communications, Media and Fine Arts, Tea took on the Marketing and Communications Intern role with St Pat’s, and was responsible for developing a TikTok strategy proposal and creating video content for the organisation.
“At St. Pat’s, I came to understand that the community culture established by local charitable organisations helps people practically, and also offers them a sense of home and belonging,” Tea said.
“The social media project I worked on aimed to promote St. Pat's Op shop through the TikTok platform, and to inform the younger generation about the social services provided by St. Pat’ in Fremantle, while also showcasing local multiculturalism.
“In my role I was responsible for social media operation planning within the Communication department, and I analysed TikTok's target user behaviours, software algorithm for content distribution, similar accounts, regional cultures, and conducted market research.
“This internship made me more confident in the knowledge I've acquired in my study, and it was fulfilling to put what I've learned into practice and see tangible results,” she said.
Melanie Watkins, Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator with St Pat’s and internship supervisor, said that Tea had gone above and beyond expectations during her internship, prompting her to nominate Tea for the McCusker Centre’s Outstanding Intern Award.
“St Pat’s is a specialist homelessness service and community housing provider, and as a not-for-profit we are heavily reliant on our community for support and have a dedicated volunteer base of around 100 people to help us run many of our services,” Ms Watkins said.
“Through her efforts, Tea has greatly increased the skill and capacity of our Op Shop team to engage in marketing and advertising, and by increasing St Pat’s brand awareness among people aged 25 and under, Tea supported our fundraising while creating another way for us to connect with young people who were not aware of our services and programs.”
While Tea’s efforts first and foremost assisted St Pat’s in strengthening their service delivery, she reflected on the broad benefits for her own learning and development.
“The internship experience has helped me realise that in today's fast-paced, information-heavy society, local community organisations and traditional media must tap into the diverse potential of new media,” Tea said.
“I am immensely grateful for the support and assistance provided to me by Melanie, Sophie, Lyn, and the team at St. Pat’s - their unwavering encouragement has been a source of motivation for me, and witnessing their dedication and sense of responsibility towards their work inspired me to contribute to the organisation wholeheartedly.
“As an international student, it can be challenging to establish connections with the local Australian community, and I truly appreciate the chance to connect through the internship.”