My Summer in Galway

As we approach the start of the new semester (already, can you believe it?), we caught up with international students Sofia and Buddila to see what they have been up to over the summer.

“This summer, I have been volunteering as a retail assistant with COPE Galway. In this role, I work alongside other volunteers to help manage the store, keeping it clean, organised and well-stocked. My main responsibilities include working the till, handling cash, and opening/closing the shop, depending on my shift. I have been volunteering with COPE Galway for 5 months now and have had a great experience.

One of my favourite parts is working at the till as I get to chat to customers. We have a good number of regulars in the charity shop, and it is nice to see them and catch up with them. I also have the opportunity to meet international people and hear about their experiences in Ireland. I began volunteering to help find a sense of connection in Galway, as I am an international student, and I feel my time with COPE Galway has supported me in that. It has also been a great way to meet other volunteers and become familiar with many faces around town.

Outside of volunteering, I am working at University of Galway as an intern. It has been a great job, and again, furthers my sense of connection with the University and the Galway community. We had some fantastic weather this summer, so I’ve been making the most of it at bonfires and the beach in Salthill.

I am really excited for the upcoming weeks as the Galway International Arts Festival is on, and I have tickets for one of the concerts and some of the events with friends. I have also done a bit of travel, visiting friends and seeing family in other countries.

Overall, it has been a wonderful summer. The time that I spend volunteering has only added to the stories and positive memories I have in Galway. I look forward to continuing with this role through the academic year!”

Sofia Fragala
BSc Psychology, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies

 “This summer, I assumed duties as the Postgraduate research officer with University of Galway’s Students’ Union Executive Committee as part-time volunteer officer. As the postgraduate officer within the Students’ Union, I represent the postgraduate community and work alongside my colleagues to foster a supportive environment for all the postgraduate research students across the University. Liaising between the postgrads and the University management to better support the community and enable a thriving environment for all. 

I am also involved in a project named “Climate Connection Storytelling”, where we are working on developing a showcase of sustainability actions done by a local community. Through this project, we aim to highlight the efforts made by a real community to make a global impact through local action. How are we doing this? Through developing a series of visual and verbal work pieces, we aim to communicate and spotlight the specific community that we have partnered with in Mulranny, County Mayo. As a part of the project, we visited the Old Irish Goat Centre, which is run by the Mulranny community. The centre is established to conserve the Old Irish Goat. While visiting the community, we also had the opportunity to dip our toes in the Mulranny beach.

Apart from this, I have also started volunteering for the Galway International Arts Festival for the second consecutive year.

Through the involvement with the Galway International Arts Festival, the Climate Connections Project and volunteering with the University of Galway’s Students’ Union, I am enhancing my communication, leadership, teamworking, networking and creative skills while having a positive impact on the community. Being a part of these activities helps me recharge and get involved in activities apart from the traditional research work I carry out as a PhD research student at the University.

This summer has been fun, and I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way that help me to spend time meaningfully outside of the world of academia.”

Buddila Wijeyesekera
PhD, 2nd year, College of Science & Engineering

To learn more about volunteering opportunities during your time at University of Galway, follow this link.

This post is adapted from content originally compiled by colleagues on the Student Services team, with minor edits for clarity and conciseness.