MSc Public Health (Global Health) student Hannah (BSc Biomedical Sciences, 2024) plans to use her vast experiences at Southampton to help make a difference to the health and wellbeing of local communities.
While completing her master’s, she has been busy supporting refugees in our city through an internship with a local charity.
Working with local charities
Taking on the role of Research Assistant at CLEAR Project, which has been supporting refugees and displaced people in Southampton for over 20 years, Hannah has been working on a project highlighting the experiences of local refugees and asylum seekers when finding advice and support in Southampton. Hannah found the internship via the University’s Careers Hub, and the opportunity is partially funded by Public Health Southampton.
How My University Internship is Helping Refugees in the UK
Her work is part of a collaborative project she is working on with a PhD student at Southampton and will inform a research paper, which will hopefully support young asylum seekers and refugees.
“I feel really supported by my managers, and they've made this opportunity really great,” Hannah adds.
I hope that the research that I'm doing will contribute to a positive change and will make an impact.
MSc Public Health (Global Health)
An interdisciplinary education
Hannah initially joined the University to study BSc Biomedical Science – a decision which sparked an interest in public health and paved the way for a future in helping others.
"During my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to take a lot of interdisciplinary modules like global health, which allowed me to expand my knowledge and guided me in the decision to pick Public Health as a master's,” she says.
“My experience on my master's has been really great. It’s a supportive environment and the teaching is really tailored to us. We've developed a lot of research skills and gained a lot of practical knowledge of how public health happens in practice at a local government level and nationally.
“It’s also been important for me to engage with my lecturers, really understanding their knowledge and working with them in more of a collaborative way.”
All of this experience means that Hannah now hopes to work with local governments and organisations to improve the health and quality of life for people around her.
“My time on my master's has introduced me to a lot of different people and has helped me make connections; it’s enabled me to build my confidence in discussing public health matters and my knowledge of what public health looks like in England,” she says.
“It’s also helped me build my confidence in things like debating and talking about issues in a way that would be useful in a local government.”
Gaining experience in research communication
Another highlight of Hannah’s time at Southampton has been the wide range of extracurricular experiences she has enjoyed.
I've been quite lucky to have quite a lot of opportunities, placements and internships while I've been here
Hannah, MSc Public Health (Global Health)
“During my undergraduate degree, I did an internship with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in their communications team, which was really informative. I not only gained experience working in an office environment, but also really understood what they do in terms of public health and global health and working within the NHS.
“Throughout my master’s, I’ve worked in communications for the Meliora podcast, which is for the Sustainability and Resilience Institute. I've been able to meet amazing researchers and learn about what they're doing and write social media posts translating that to a wider audience of students."
Getting involved in these experiences has helped Hannah to build her skills, broaden her network, and expand her CV, complementing her studies and helping her to prepare for her future career.
