Age: 30 (And if I hear that 30 is the new 20 one more time I will scream!)

State: Queensland

Motivation for joining Red Cross
Red Cross is one of those rare organisations that is well and truly focused on the vulnerable in any given community, without any underlying motives. I feel like their fundamental principles align with my personal views - such as neutrality, impartiality and universality - and I felt that volunteering with the Red Cross would be a great way to contribute to my community, and support those affected by emergencies, as well as grow and learn from and meet like-minded people. I also really wanted to challenge myself, and start pushing my own boundaries - and I've definitely been achieving that! Now I get to train people in Personal Support in Brisbane and I learn more every session!

'Real' job
I'm a full time student at UQ studying a Bachelor of Social Science (Development) but to pay the bills I'm a contractor - I provide desktop publishing, copywriting, design and administration services to clients. Most days that means I'm in an office in front of a computer... Makes my Red Cross days all the more valuable!

Thoughts on climate change and extreme weather
I've never been what you could call a greenie, but all you have to do is look around and see there is something very real happening. It has become much more real for me as I have learnt about the effects of climate change on people. From more extreme weather events (the Vic Bushfires, NQ Floods, the Boxing Day Tsunami, the South East Asian Typhoon, the Samoan Tsunami etc..need I go on?) to longer-term issues such as rising sea levels and displacement in the small Pacific Island nations. What especially concerns me is that much of the major effects of climate change (such as rising sea levels and more extreme weather events) are mostly affecting those in developing countries which have the least resources to deal with them.

Likes
(In no specific order).. Mike Patton (the phrase "is God" often accompanies this).. The Herd (socially/politically conscious witty Aussie hip-hop!) .. Ruskie Pierogi (A Polish delicacy)... Macadamia Ice-cream... Inspired people.. Positive attitudes... Dave Eggers (Author & also the Editor of McSweeneys) .. True Blood (the show and the books - not the beverage!)

Dislikes
Boredom... Greed.. Oppression.. Inequality.. People who complain about the world but choose to do nothing.

Aspirations
To somehow contribute to long-lasting social change.. To write a generation-defining novel.. To Graduate.

Proudest moment
Working with the youth of Lalinda in Ambrym, Vanuatu in designing their disaster preparedness plan, and watching them develop their own awesome fundraising plans, collect materials and to find out they are still doing it today, 3 years later!

Biggest learning experience
All my volunteer work overseas showed me that people have all the knowledge and capacity they need to achieve their goals or overcome difficulties - its our role as volunteers, in emergencies especially, to empower people to take control of their own recovery, by facilitating the flow of information and resources. By just being there, and not taking away people's agency, you make the biggest difference.