Erin
Tell us about yourself
Hi, my name is Erin Gerard, I’m a 3rd year Audio and Music production student at LJMU and I am a volunteer at the JMSU as the Women in STEM society president.
How did you get into volunteering?
I have been volunteering since I was 16, taking part in national citizen service (NCS) and developing to my journey as an academic ambassador and advocate for a small charity in my hometown called Carers’ resource. This charity supports all types of people listed as unpaid carers access resources and support to fulfill their needs. I worked specifically for the young carers division, making content on social media for young people to access advice on getting into higher education. This led me to volunteer my time spreading awareness of being a young carer and its difficulties and how it affects education through the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership YouTube Channel.
I developed into participating in interviews for young carers before I moved to university. This is where I became an alumni public speaker for my previous college, giving advice to young people on university life and UCAS applications.
Now I am part of the JMSU volunteering as the Women in STEM president, advocating and supporting young women's academic journeys in STEM at LJMU, this has led me to opportunities to talk/ make content for the engineering and technology department at LJMU through their Instagram and website.
What volunteering positions do you have and what are your primary duties?
Currently, I work as the Women in STEM president. My responsibilities/duties consist of:
Welfare, Networking, Media marketing, financial planning and budget reports, leadership, public speaking, event planning, research and reports and communication.
What skills did you build through volunteering?
Volunteering has given me various skills such as time management building, event planning and research and reporting. Time management is required for volunteering because there are other aspects in your life outside this role. It is important to be organised when running a society especially women in STEM. Event planning is the most fun skill I’m taking from this role, the creative side is inspiring (especially themes for our Chairty events) and the practical side is rewarding, such as admin and financial planning. Researching is important; to be your brand you must know your brand. Research what you are doing and why.
What is your most memorable experience from volunteering?
My most memorable experience as a volunteer has been seeing my hard work pay off with my lovely committee members. Our Women in STEM charity pub quiz interaction and attendance was a real reminder that my team and I have been working so hard for awareness and change.
What would you tell someone who is looking to volunteer, do you have any advice?
If you want to volunteer, start simple. There is only so much you can do in a busy working environment like us students. Do something you are passionate about and know a lot about, research what it is and why. Love what you do, and it will lead to bigger things, you can do it. It’ll be the most rewarding experience.
