Another 12 months flies by and with it comes the creative transition of NRSPP’s Swinburne University intern.
NRSPP farewells Caitlin Xavier and welcomes Kyla Fantin and Ruby Athanas.
A core element of NRSPP is its content creation and engagement, for which we rely on an intern program with Program Partner Swinburne University of Technology. NRSPP’s small budget goes a long way through our collaborative approach and partner support. This approach provides constant creative renewal and a chance to grow emerging students in being passionate about road safety by conveying data, messages and storytelling in engaging mediums.
The disruption of Covid-19 did not hold back Caitlin and her creative drive. Through 2020 the Program Director Jerome Carslake and Caitlin Xavier only met twice in person, a testimony to Caitlin’s adaption and autonomous drive. On the 5 July Caitlin returns to Swinburne University to complete her final year, after which who knows what mountains she will climb.
“It has been a rollercoaster ride – but a valuable and great experience!” says Caitlin.
“Being at NRSPP was a significant opportunity to meet and collaborate with many individuals, internally and externally. The internship has built my confidence, communication and workload management skills, while also being a chance to experience how graphic design ties in to the working industry.
“My most significant accomplishments would be the campaigns ‘With My Eyes Closed…’ (driver sleepiness) and ‘Travel Time. Your Time.’ (aggressive driving), the refurbishment of the NRSPP Newsletters, and the management of a multitude of different tasks at once. The campaigns challenged me by honing my project management and design skills, through the simultaneous design and coordination of their development, while keeping up with ongoing tasks.
“Although initially daunting, my time at NRSPP has been a time of much growth; it has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience. I’m excited to see who will be the next to contribute their creativity in this space. To the next interns: I wish you all the best!”
With the change in interns comes new ideas and creative quirks which the NRSPP welcomes as it helps keep our communications and knowledge translation fresh and engaging.
Kyla Fantin and Ruby Athanas are both currently in their third year of studying a Bachelor of Communication Design (Honours) at Swinburne University of Technology. Kyla holds a minor in Advertising and Ruby holds a minor in Photomedia.
“I am extremely eager to join the team at NRSPP and to improve my skills as a designer throughout the internship,” says Kyla.
“My main goal for my design career is to use my creative abilities to initiate positive changes within society therefore, I am abundantly grateful for the opportunity to work in such a rewarding field of road safety. I love many aspects and styles of design, particularly all things vector. Consequently, I am excited to develop my skills in this area working for NRSPP. I look forward to the new experiences and growth to come over the next year and thank NRSPP and Hard Edge for this amazing opportunity.”
“I love to blend both communication design and photography and strive to always push the boundaries of what I can achieve,” Ruby says.
“I am always looking to experiment with new ideas or media that will enhance my skills. Having a wide variety of work motivates me and through this internship with NRSPP I am excited to taking on diverse tasks and roles that expand my capabilities as a designer. This experience help me to grow and learn both professionally and personally and I look forward to embracing all the opportunities it will bring over the next year!”
As part of the changeover period, Caitlin, Kyla and Ruby collaborated to design our latest Fact Sheet: Driving Through Floodwater.
We thank Caitlin for all her efforts and wish her all the best in the future, and look forward to our next chapter with Kyla and Ruby.