Reflections on my Student Impact Internship
Megan Warren recently completed a Student Impact Internship with the University of Leeds Sustainability Service and Leeds University Union (LUU). Her role was focused on developing student engagement with sustainability through societies. Over the course of the 10-weeks, Megan conducted research to understand how students currently engage with sustainability and develop recommendations to help societies boost student involvement. In this blog she shares her experiences in this role.
What drew me to this role?
What really excited me about this internship was the opportunity to make a tangible difference—both for students like myself and for future students who will shape the university's sustainability journey.
As a BA Environment and Business student, I’ve often seen sustainability framed as something only relevant to certain academic disciplines. Therefore, through this role, I wanted to challenge that idea. I wanted to help make sustainability feel accessible, meaningful, and achievable for everyone—regardless of their course or background.
Furthermore, my own incredible university experience has been shaped by campus life and the societies I’ve joined. That’s also why this project felt especially personal, I saw it as a chance to give back to a community that’s given me so much, and to contribute something that could leave a lasting impact.
Identifying challenges and finding solutions
My focus was on helping societies engage more deeply with sustainability. A key challenge was the limited collaboration between the Sustainability Service and LUU. This made it harder for societies to access the support and resources they needed.
Given how much influence societies have—both socially and culturally—their role in sustainability work is vital. I explored ways to bridge that gap, aiming to create smoother pathways for collaboration and clearer points of contact for students.
Highlights and lessons learned
One of the most rewarding parts of the internship was connecting with a wide range of people. I had insightful conversations with LUU staff, student society committees and sustainability staff from other universities. Hearing their experiences and ideas was incredibly inspiring.
Attending the Sustainability Celebration 2025, contributing to the Just Transition work, and participating in team meetings gave me a broader understanding of how sustainability operates across the University. It was eye-opening to see how committed both the Sustainability Service and LUU are to creating positive environmental and student experiences.
Another highlight was the variety of people I met. From Fairtrade advocates and EMS specialists, to sustainable travel coordinators, each brought a unique perspective, and I took away something valuable from every conversation. These experiences also solidified my ambition to pursue a career in sustainability. They gave me the confidence and skills to move forward.
Lastly, being both a student on a sustainable campus and someone actively contributing to that work deepened my understanding of what sustainability truly involves. From this, I now feel much more confident having in-depth, informed discussions about the subject.
Looking ahead
Finally, this internship gave me so many moments to be proud of: the report I wrote, the workshop I facilitated, and the conversations I had. I hope my work has helped support the incredible initiatives already in place and made sustainability feel a little more approachable for other students.
Looking forward, I’m excited to see societies playing a bigger role in sustainability and for continued collaboration between LUU and the Sustainability Service.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on student engagement is linked to the following SDGs:
- Goal 4: Quality education
- Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 17: Partnerships
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.
