Name: Maria Sofia Meirelles
Course: Master in Graphic Design and Typography
Campus: Cambridge
Volunteer Role: Community Volunteer
"The thing that I have enjoyed the most is the feeling of knowing that I'm making a difference. Sometimes small actions, like writing and sending a post card, can have such a great impact"
What are your main duties and how do they benefit others?
Currently I'm volunteering for Post Pals, The United Nations and now-u. For Post Pals I write post cards for children's who are very ill, in hope to brighten their day a little. This year I challenged myself to make 40 Christmas cards, one for each children and in the end did 10 more to support United in Kind. In The United Nations I usually apply to the graphic design opportunities. So far I've designed three posters explaining to kids what COVID-19 is, these posters were hang out at American schools. now-u is my most recent role, where I've been working with a small team of designers to produce content for their social media, app and outreach.
What have you enjoyed most about volunteering?
The thing that I have enjoyed the most is the feeling of knowing that I'm making a difference. Sometimes small actions, like writing and sending a post card, can have such a great impact.
What skills have you learnt and used during your volunteering?
This roles help me develop mostly my creative skills. With Post Pals I've been developing my lettering and illustration skills. And with now-u I've been improving skills such as communication and team work.
What are your future career aspirations?
My field is graphic design and after graduating I would love to work for a charity or a studio. With now-u I'm gaining experience in working in a team with more designer, respecting deadlines, attending meeting and communicate between the different teams. Definitely this role is preparing me for the work world and making me feel more confident about my designs.
What inspires you to volunteer?
What inspires me the most to volunteer is the desire to help people and make a difference by supporting social causes which I identify with.
What is your favourite volunteering memory?
I have so many good memories from volunteering. One of them is seeing my designs in the now-u Instagram and Facebook feed, it's always so rewarding. Another is from Post Pals, one of the kids really loves pins so I send him one and then their parents send a picture of him holding a pin board, where I could see my pin. He was so happy with all his pins and I also felt happy because I contributed to that.
Why do you love volunteering?
For a numerous of reasons, the most obvious ones are because I'm doing a difference and helping other people. In a personal level it helps me develop my skills and become more confident, and in a professional level, I'm gaining experience and developing my portfolio.