UQ Refugee Tutoring Society

Volunteer Tutor

The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia QLD, Australia

Communication

Teamwork

Volunteer - Volunteer Tutor

St Vincent de Paul Society

Volunteer

St Lucia

Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours)

The University of Queensland (UQ)

I'm Nelson, and I'm in my fourth year of my Bachelors of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours) at the University of Queensland. I'm a motivated student with a passion for policy. Currently completing a three month internship in the Social Policy and Legislation Branch of the Office of the Director-General in Queensland Health, I've found myself motivated to find a position similar to the one that I'm in, one that is able to give back to the community while also developing my complex problem-solving and stakeholder management skills in a unique and gratifying way.

As part of my degree, I have returned to the Disability and Multicultural Health team in the SLPB to further develop my skills as within a health-policy setting. This internship process has seen me develop my complex problem-solving and stakeholder management skills in a high-pressure office environment. I have contributed to a number of projects. These projects have included helping to organise a forum for high-level disability sector stakeholders to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the sector, writing many forms of correspondence to be sent both across the department and externally, and collating research briefs on a number of topics.  

Queensland Health

Internship

33 Charlotte Street, Brisbane City QLD, Australia

 I worked with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health on the project “Using Indigenous methodologies for understanding urban health in Australian cities” as part of the University of Queensland’s “Summer Research Program”. We worked to identify and critically understand Indigenous methodological approaches to public health research through an analysis of the literature on the topic. This is set to turn into both a paper on the topic, as well as guidance for the Poche Centre going forward, to help the Centre to better understand how to weave these methodologies into its own approach to Indigenous health research.

Poche Centre for Indigenous Health

Summer Research Scholar

I was part of a team working with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health to continue work on the interaction between COVID-19 vaccination policy and Indigenous peoples. This research will  look to compare COVID-19 vaccination efforts among Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada to chart how effective the policy has been to date, and how Australia can adopt international policy strategy to get better outcomes here. 

Poche Centre for Indigenous Health 

Casual Research Trainee

I was part of a team working with the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health as part of the University of Queensland’s ‘Winter Research Program’. We worked on several projects in the Indigenous Public Health space, all specifically relating to COVID-19 and Indigenous peoples. 


Winter Research Scholar

I was part of a project which worked with Downs Syndrome Queensland (DSQ) to develop a new volunteer application and onboarding procedure for the organization. This required me to develop a familiarity with the legislative framework for non-government organisations, to ensure that the new procedures do not inadvertently cause the organisation to break the law. This has meant that the skills required for any group project are of the utmost importance, to ensure we all get the job done to a high, and compliant, standard.

Downs-Syndrome Queensland

Community Engagement Program Volunteer

Work Experience 

Worked in the Social Policy and Legislation Branch of the Office of the Director General & System Strategy, Queensland Health

Nelson Thorpe / Volunteer - Volunteer Tutor

Volunteer Tutor

UQ Refugee Tutoring Society

Progress

Skills