Adelaide University Internship Experience and Industry Project - Violet Zewei You

Welcome Violet!
Violet Zewei You joined our SAcommunity Data Analytics Team for her University of Adelaide SET (Sciences, Engineering and Technology) Internship for her Masters of Computing and Innovation Science Trimester 1, 2024: 23 January 2024 - 27 March 2024.

She is completing a 140 hour internship onsite with SAcommunity at the Connecting Up Office, Infoxchange for 2 days (15 hours) a week for ~10 weeks around her classes.

Violet is also completing her industry project onsite with SAcommunity at the Connecting Up Office with her Industry Project Team members: Yong Kheng Beh, Jamie Jiemin Zhang and Clover Xinyue Luo.

Internship: 140 hours
Industry Project: 100 hours
Volunteer: 10 hours
Total Hours 250 Joined 23 January 2024 Last check-in 16 July 2024 

Personal Biography
Violet is a second-year student currently studying a Master of Computing and Innovation at the University of Adelaide. With a background in mathematics, Violet is focusing on software development and data analysis. She has pursued projects that range from implementing a complete computer system to utilising data analytics for actionable insights using Python. She was a PASS Leader for Foundations of Computer Science aiming to foster collaborative learning environments and help peers grasp complex computer science concepts. 

She is deepening her technical expertise through an internship in Connecting Up, engaging in the analysis of user interaction data. She joins this program to understand the real-world workflow of data analytics, learn new skills like Power BI, and to have the opportunity to apply her academic knowledge to contribute to the society.

Looking forward, Violet seeks a career as a Software Engineer or Data Analyst, developing systems and solutions that use the power of data to drive decisions and innovation. With a dedication to technology that serves the community.

Image: 4-year Comparison for Unley Council

Community Services in Councils Project
Violet has selected The City of Unley for her Power BI council reports, a database of approximately 300 community service records operating in the area for the financial years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Her reports will follow previous visualisation report work by Stathis Avramis, and when completed will be found >>here.

There are a number of steps involved once community service information data presentations are created, a summary of data trends prepared, work is attributed and published to the website, and then was introduced to council stakeholders by phone and email to be used as a tool to understand community needs in the area. 

Council Contact
Violet contacted Unley Council on the 3 March 2024 by phone to raise awareness of the SAcommunity service with potential stakeholders, that is council staff working in community consultation or community development areas, to present her publicly available data reports which can be used as another tool to understand their community needs in the area.


Image: Snippet of the Python script

Continuous Improvement through Python scripting
In undertaking this task, Violet created a Python script for automating the retrieval of landing page session data from Google Analytics Universal. She then created a tutorial document for "Automating data retrieval from Google Analytics Universal" making this code and instructions for use available in Teams for the other Data Analytics students. Peer-to-peer training is used extensively in the SAcommunity program as part of volunteer capacity building, and within this the program also strives for continuous improvement. Violet's coding and documentation illustrated both, enabling others to also speed up the data cleaning process to improve their dataset and the directory overall. 

Image: Violet demonstrating how to use the Python script to Intern Mostafa Didar Mahdi, Intern Harsh Bhatt, Volunteer Stathis Avramis, Volunteer Kane Hengchuan Zhao, Intern Yi Han(left to right).

Violet's document is designed to guide users on how to use a Python script for automating the retrieval of landing page session data from Google Analytics Universal. Typically, data is retrieved using council codes from "Audience > Custom > Custom Variables: DatasetID". However, this often necessitates a cross-check with data retrieved using the organization ID from "Behavior > Site Content > Landing Page" to ensure that records have been 'tagged' with the relevant council for reports on the dataset. These tasks are undertaken so that all visits to these webpages are captured in the final reports, providing an indication of user need, whilst improving the records themselves by ensuring information within a dataset is complete. Unfortunately, manually retrieving data using organization IDs for each entry is time-consuming and tedious, therefore Violet's python script automates the process, saving time and reducing errors. 

 

Image: Industry Project Team Members

Left to Right: Clover Xinyue Luo, Violet Zewei You, Jamie Jiemin Zhang, Yong Kheng Beh

Industry Project: Development of a Chatbot Using Large Language Models for SAcommunity's Website
Violet along with her team members Yong Kheng Beh, Jamie Jiemin Zhang, and Clover Xinyue Luo, is undertaking an industry project as part of her Masters of Computing and Innovation project at SAcommunity. The project aims to enhance the user experience on SAcommunity's website by developing an interactive chatbot powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). The primary goal of this project is to create a chatbot that can assist users in navigating the SAcommunity website more efficiently, providing them with quick and accurate responses to their inquiries. The chatbot aims to improve user engagement, reduce the time users spend searching for information, and streamline their experience. More details about this project can be found >>here.

Image: SAcommunity Volunteers at Connecting Up
Back row: Yi Han, Dexter Tabada, Violet Zewei You, Rasika Nawarathne, Stathis Avramis, Pujan Maharjan, Camille Sze Pui Ko, Rex Porter. Front row: Anju Odedara, Alice Jingyi Zeng, and Harsh Bhatt 

Work experience - Internal and External Events, Connections and Networks
Volunteers and interns are encouraged to attend monthly SAcommunity Team meetings,  Connecting Up staff meetings, as well as quarterly all-staff Infoxchange Town Hall meetings to understand more about the organisation as a whole.

Organisation-wide news, events and projects are communicated through the staff channels, with weekly CEO Updates from David Spriggs, informal 'Lunch and Learn' educational sessions, and network meetings create connections with staff and other volunteers. Interns are also given opportunities to attend stakeholder and partner events.

Relevant meetings Violet has attended and summarised include:

Image: Violet with Volunteer Daisy Fangqiang Shan practicing Telephone Techniques scenarios 

Training and Development - Telephone Techniques
Telephone techniques follow on with email and communication techniques, to assist Data Analytics Team members with understanding more about the directory and data collection methods, in data cleaning and updating their individual dataset information, and, in finally introducing and presenting their data reports to council stakeholders. There are several telephone techniques meetings, as with the student's elevator pitches, practice makes perfect.

Connecting Up Monthly Staff Meeting

13 February 2024
Introduction to Jo Davies the COO of Infoxchange
Attending the Connecting Up Monthly Staff Meeting, led by Jo Davies, Chief Operating Officer at Infoxchange, offered a wealth of insights into the organization's inner workings. Her professional history, including a significant tenure at Fujitsu Australia, enriched the discussion and highlighted her expertise in her current role.

Ms. Davies' commitment to implementing the company's business plan was a key focus of the meeting. She emphasized the importance of daily operational efficiency and close cooperation with department heads, underscoring the need for alignment and teamwork across the organization. The meeting agenda, which focused on team engagement and future strategies, demonstrated her dedication to fostering a collaborative culture and driving the company's growth.

One standout moment was her commendation of the Adelaide office's performance. Recognizing the team's hard work not only lifted spirits but also reinforced a culture of appreciation and recognition within Infoxchange.

Throughout the meeting, Ms. Davies maintained a professional yet approachable demeanor, promoting open dialogue and active participation. Her ability to switch seamlessly between strategic discussions and operational updates showcased her skill in balancing immediate tasks with long-term objectives.

Overall, the meeting provided a deeper understanding of Infoxchange's operational dynamics and strategic direction. Ms. Davies' leadership, characterized by a focus on collaboration and performance, set a positive and forward-looking tone for the organization.

12 March 2024 & 9 April 2024
Updates from the Connecting Up Team includes monthly highlights, plans, activities.

Infoxchange All Staff Town Hall Meeting

27 February 2024
Updates from the Infoxchange CEO, Operations, Finance, People & Culture, Lightning Talks from IX Teams, and IXcel Awards
The meeting began with updates from various departments, including finance and operations, providing staff with insights into current projects and the company's future. Following speeches from the CEO and other team leads, individuals with outstanding performances were honored with the IXcel awards. This meeting was particularly significant for me as it inspired me to pursue excellence in my tasks and offered a valuable opportunity to better understand the company's workplace culture and leadership structure. It greatly expanded my comprehension of how a company operates, illustrating how different roles, while working independently, ultimately come together to drive the company forward.

Infoxchange Lunch & Learn Sessions

Effective Meeting & Communication Skills 5 March 2024
Kate Hickman Chief People Officer Infoxchange & Jo Davies Chief Operating Officer Infoxchange to learn more and how to implement these skills in your day-to-day work activities. 
Attending the "Lunch & Learn" session on Effective Meeting & Communication Skills was incredibly insightful. Led by Kate Hickman and Jo Davies, the session focused on enhancing communication and meeting practices for better efficiency and collaboration.
Key takeaways included the importance of choosing the right communication channel—using emails for formal records and phone calls for quick clarifications. Practical examples emphasized this point.
Jo discussed meeting etiquette, stressing punctuality, presence, and including the right participants. Effective written communication was also covered, with Kate advising on concise emails, bullet points, and setting clear expectations.
The session highlighted using IX tools like Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint effectively. Additionally, Jo advised being considerate about after-hours messaging to respect colleagues' time.
The event concluded with tips on using LinkedIn for professional engagement. Overall, the session provided valuable insights to improve my communication skills and contribute to a more efficient and collaborative work environment.

Infoxchange Community & Cultural Events & Activities

International Women's Day Afternoon Tea and Talk 13 March 2024
The event featured Jo Davies, Chief Operating Officer of Infoxchange, and David Spriggs, CEO of Infoxchange. It highlighted the captivating and inspiring journeys of various renowned women at Infoxchange. The talk that resonated with me the most was from COO Jo Davies. She shared her career journey, starting in the UK and eventually becoming the COO at Infoxchange. As an international student, I found her story particularly motivating. It demonstrated that despite cultural differences and hardships, success is achievable with resolution, motivation, and making the right decisions at the right time.

World Autism Month Key Speaker Jim Mullan CEO of Amaze 5 April 2024
An informative talk on Amaze during World Autism Month focused on autistic inclusion in the workplace. Amaze is renowned for fostering autism understanding in the community, influencing policy change for autistic individuals and their families/supporters, and providing independent, credible information and resources to individuals, families, professionals, government, and the wider community. The discussion emphasized the importance of creating inclusive workplaces and the positive impact of supporting autistic employees.

Infoxchange Stakeholder Events

Data Catalyst Network (DCN)
Volunteers and interns have the opportunity to attend relevant events organized by our key partners.

DCN Webinar: Augmented Intelligence; Combining Organisation Data with Large Language Models 29 February 2024
The webinar emphasises integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) with organizational data, underlining augmented intelligence's role in enhancing business processes and decision-making. It addresses the ethical considerations and responsible use of AI, stressing the importance of fairness, privacy, and transparency in AI applications. It highlights the dynamic nature of AI and the need for continuous learning and adaptation to keep up with the evolving technology. The webinar provides practical examples and case studies, illustrating how AI can be effectively implemented in real-world scenarios. This webinar is a great introduction for LLM beginners, but I’m more interested in diving deep into the logic behind LLM.

DCN Webinar: Indigenous Data Sovereignty 20 March 2024
Jim O’Shea, a Gumbaynggirr man from New South Wales and Chief Operating Officer at the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization Inc. (VACCHO), presented an enlightening webinar on Indigenous Data and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
Indigenous Data encompasses information and knowledge about or affecting Indigenous people, both collectively and individually. Indigenous Data Sovereignty, on the other hand, refers to the rights Indigenous people have over this data.
Mr. O'Shea discussed various frameworks and principles organizations must consider when developing Indigenous Data Sovereignty. He also highlighted the challenges these communities face regarding the use of their data. This talk was an eye-opener, emphasizing the importance for organizations to proactively implement measures for Indigenous Data Sovereignty, which can significantly benefit Indigenous communities.

DCN Webinar: Tools to get control of your data 24 April 2024
Nonprofits need to measure and demonstrate impact effectively to various stakeholders, including management, the board, funding bodies, and donors. One major impediment is fragmented data systems, involving multiple spreadsheets and different programs for data collection, analysis, and visualization. Creating a 'single source of truth' is crucial, as is ensuring the data is complete, accurate, and clean. Microsoft Fabric facilitates this process and incorporates secure AI through Copilot.

Image: Mentor Meeting Cameron Brown, Web Developer Products & Services with Violet Zewei You 

Mentor Meeting
Connecting Up Volunteers and Interns are provided with the opportunity to select staff members from across the wider Infoxchange organisation for an informational mentor meeting. Here they have the opportunity to ask more about staff members job roles and employment journey, and learn about their career and professional development, to gain insights and guidance that can be applieed towards their own success.

Volunteers and interns both prepare 5 questions for their mentors and then are encouraged to record 5 aspects they felt were helpful for them to share on their portfolio for both themselves and other volunteers, and Violet shared her experience in meeting Cameron Brown, Web Developer, Infoxchange.

Cameron’s unique approach to his role, where he juggles multiple responsibilities akin to a full-stack developer, highlighted the versatility and adaptability required in the tech field. Here are my key takeaways:

Digital Training & Development

Violet has been provided with access to the Connecting Up Digital Learning platform, a training and development online learning platform. She has the opportunity to understand more about data analytics or a range of other technology topics in the not-for-profit sector, through training sessions presented by subject-matter experts in a selection of relevant live webinars and recorded webinars, workshops and webcons.

Relevant weekly webinars, workshops and webcons selected, attended and summarised below by Violet to enhance her internship experience include:

1. Getting started with Microsoft Power BI for data analysis & visualisation
Power BI's ability to connect with various data sources and its data transformation features are extremely powerful. The ease of creating visually appealing and interactive reports is impressive. It lowers the barrier for users to present data in a meaningful way. The integration with Microsoft's ecosystem, particularly for collaboration, enhances its utility in team environments. The advanced features like AI-driven insights, natural language queries, and custom dashboards indicate that Power BI is not just a basic visualization tool but a comprehensive business intelligence solution. The introduction of Power BI Copilot, which allows creating reports and dashboards from natural language prompts, showcases the tool's advancement towards more user-friendly, AI-assisted analytics.

2. AI opportunities, risks and benefits for NFP's
The use of generative AI in not-for-profit sectors can significantly enhance content creation, impact evaluation, and volunteer management, streamlining various operations. Automating routine tasks using AI can free up valuable time for nonprofits, allowing them to focus more on strategic initiatives. There's a significant gap in AI skills among professionals, indicating a need for organizations to prioritize employee training in AI technologies.

3. Cyber Security Essentials for NFP staff - 9 May 2024
The course emphasises the "seven tips to catch a phish," providing practical, actionable skills to identify phishing attempts effectively. It covers key challenges in cybersecurity, which is crucial for understanding the broader context of why such measures are necessary.

4. Google Cloud Skills Boost Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path
The course provides an in-depth introduction to Generative AI, a rapidly evolving field in artificial intelligence that creates new content from existing data. It covers the fundamentals of large language models (LLMs), which are crucial in understanding how Generative AI operates and its applications. Emphasizing responsible AI use, the course likely includes best practices and ethical considerations essential for applying AI principles responsibly in various domains. The course offers hands-on experience with Google Cloud tools, which is invaluable for learners to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. The self-paced nature of the course allows for flexible learning, catering to professionals who need to balance training with other commitments. Completing the course and passing the final quiz offers a tangible recognition of the skills acquired, which can be valuable for professional development. 

5. Career Essentials in Generative AI by Microsoft and LinkedIn - 13 May 2024
The "Career Essentials in Generative AI" course by Microsoft and LinkedIn provided a comprehensive and practical overview of generative AI. Starting with core concepts, Pinar Seyhan Demirdag’s module explained the basics effectively, laying a solid foundation.
Ashley Kennedy’s course on thoughtful online search strategies highlighted the evolution from traditional search engines to reasoning engines, making AI searches more intuitive.
Nick Brazzi’s modules on Microsoft Copilot demonstrated how AI can streamline workflows and improve productivity in daily tasks.
Vilas Dhar’s course on AI ethics emphasized the importance of ethical considerations in AI development, providing critical insights into addressing these challenges.
Doug Rose’s introduction to AI tools rounded out the course, reinforcing essential knowledge for leveraging AI.
Overall, this course enhanced my understanding of generative AI, provided practical skills, and emphasized ethics, preparing me to contribute effectively in the evolving AI landscape.

Overall, this internship has equipped me with the confidence and skills to pursue a career as a data analyst. I am now prepared to make meaningful contributions to organizations striving for data-driven decision-making and positive social impact. I deeply appreciate the support and collaboration from everyone involved, which has been crucial in my journey towards becoming a proficient data analyst.


SAcommunity Volunteer Team 12 July 2024 L-R: Yong Kheng Beh, Mostafa Didar Mahdi, Rex Porter, Violet Zewei You, Olivia Thi Kim Oanh Nguyen, Leeves, Jamie and Navodani