What inspired you to take on this role?
I hadn't heard of CoppaFeel! before I applied to be Imperial's very first Uni Boob Team leader - they are a wonderful charity raising awareness of breast cancer in young women. I looked up the charity online and read their founder's blog: Kristin Hallenga was only 23 when she was diagnosed with Stage Four breast cancer - she had been previously misdiagnosed and had dismissed the chance that she might have breast cancer. As a result she established CoppaFeel! to help others avoid her experiences, with the aim that nobody should die from late or misdiagnosed breast cancer!
CoppaFeel! wants to make young women aware of the importance of self-checking so that everyone knows what is normal for them and can go to their GP if they see any unusual changes. I thought that Kris' story was heart-wrenching and wanted to help her on her mission to make sure that young women everywhere are self-checking!
What is your favourite thing about your role?
CoppaFeel! are such a fun charity - they like to promote their message in the most upbeat way possible and do this by giving Uni Boob Teams giant boob costumes to wear (among other things)! I love being around campus talking to students about the charity - the boob costumes are a great fun way to catch someone's eye and get them to ask you why you're wearing it!
Has it met your expectations?
I had to establish the Uni Boob Team as a project with the Union, plus I have never had a committee position before this year(!) so I was expecting a lot of paperwork and stress! Fortunately, I haven't had (too much) of either of these - there's been some hard work, but a lot more fun - definitely worth it.
Why would you encourage other Imperial students to volunteer?
I would really encourage others to volunteer and try something new - your time at Imperial is the perfect opportunity to go outside of your comfort zone to develop your skills in all sorts of areas, gain experience and learn a lot about yourself.
If you can even just spare an hour a week you could make a real difference to someone and do some good, plus you get that warm fuzzy glow from doing good! If that doesn't persuade you, it'll look great on your CV, too.
What have been the benefits?
I've met a lot of lovely people and had the opportunity to grow my confidence, both of which I'm very grateful for. Being able to do these while helping young women and CoppaFeel! has been a bonus.
I've seen that I am capable of more than I thought and this really helped when I started thinking about life after graduation. Volunteering for CoppaFeel! and campaigning around campus has given me some great experiences to talk about in interviews and, hopefully, I've helped some of Imperial's young women too.
What has been a highlight of your experience?
I think Freshers' Fair was a great experience this year - there were so many people to talk to and it got some much needed exposure for CoppaFeel! at Imperial. It was a long day but it was really good fun walking around in our giant boob costumes talking to everyone!
I also really enjoyed taking part in some promotional filming for the charity - I'll be appearing in a video on the Uni Boob Team's website soon to help explain what Uni Boob Teams across the country do.
