I decided to compete for a research experience due to my personal interest and my supervisors' previous work on minority group's health and wellbeing - targeting remote and Indigenous people's health.
I have become more confident in many areas. This includes personal understanding of social norms/ beliefs, and cultural factors that may pose some potential biases to researching and interpreting information. Academically, I have learnt how to use Endnote more effectively, which I believe can play a crucial role in my career, but also my journey as a student. Lastly, in a professional sense, I also have been able to strengthen my communication skills with people from a different field and become more organized with scheduling and replying to emails, as well as being fully 'present' in meetings.
The most important thing I have learnt in this area is that I may doubt myself on my capabilities, but I am not that bad - at the very least, whatever I have a go at, I ALWAYS try my best. This mainly applies outside of my own comfort zone or even against my own personal feelings, but I can definitely have a positive mindset to try and give it all I've got.
Tip: Set --PERSONAL goals-- (FOR YOURSELF ONLY!) before the program starts and each week/s, if possible, remind yourself of them and how you can make them happen. And make them happen. You have got this!
Advice: Ensure to not doubt yourself much during your time, it may become overwhelming sometimes; know that you were chosen for a reason. What you may bring to the table is also valuable and they have picked you because they saw potential in you - believe in yourself. Just reach-out to them when you need any help.
The winter scholarship program allowed me to broaden my understanding of the teachings and theoretical concepts in my undergraduate courses. I have been able to apply a real-world, hands-on experience in public health to enhance the health and wellbeing of First Nations people and remote communities in Queensland. Additionally, this experience has given me a valuable opportunity to develop new habits and strengthen personal, professional, and academic skills that will play a critical and vital role in my future career interest in public health. This project allowed me to meet and work with a well-respected Indigenous woman, and one of many of the UQ's World-leading researchers in science, Ms. Minnie King, and Dr. Nina Lansbury respectively.
Participating in this program was an incredible experience that allowed me to immerse myself in Queensland's education addressing menstrual health. As a member of this incredible research team, my responsibilities included reviewing prior results and studies to create an educational resource that focused on menstruation health. To ensure the curriculum's success for the targeted group, the special needs of girls and boys in distant locations and/ or from an Indigenous background were required. This study helped me enhance my research abilities by teaching me how to traverse between varied academic sources and literature to uncover useful ideas and evidence. Additionally, I had given the chance to form meaningful relationships with my supervisors and other students, which was one of the most enjoyable components of this research experience. Working with seasoned mentors gave me a vital direction and mentorship, helping me to achieve some of my personal goals and grasp new knowledge - fully immersing myself into the unknown.
This research project also allowed me to broaden my understanding of how educational programs may be created and tailored to the requirements of various groups. Identifying the most successful ways for curriculum implementation necessitated considering my personal implicit biases and understanding varied cultural norms in remote communities. Furthermore, in this experience I got an insight into the limitations and potential of delivering crucial support to disadvantaged populations by investigating current resources available for menstrual health help for students in distant places. Regular meetings brought me up to date on project developments and allowed me to actively contribute to determining the project's direction and establishing a dynamic learning environment for other students.
