She has helped refugees in Berlin and learnt about Chinese medicine in Hong Kong - and Pharmacy student Ratidzo Cheza hopes these experiences will boost her employability.
The 20-year-old also believes the knowledge and understanding she has gained through opportunities offered at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) will benefit patients in her future career.
Ratidzo said: "I do think the trips DMU has provided me with will make me more employable and helpful to the community.
"Thanks to #DMUglobal and #DMUlocal, I went to Berlin and worked with refugees from Syria.
"We rebuilt a nursery for the children of refugees and helped at English classes. In return we learnt a bit of German, which gave us a better idea of what it is like to adapt to a different culture."
Ratidzo also jumped at the opportunity to go to Hong Kong.
"It was amazing," she said. "In terms of my studies, going to the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong was eye-opening. We learnt about the different forms of therapy they conduct such as acupuncture.
"We have a significant Chinese population in the UK, so this makes me more understanding of how they would use Chinese medicine in collaboration with UK medicine."
Ratidzo has also taken advantage of opportunities on campus, including dementia awareness training.
"It was really good and insightful," she said. "It gave me an understanding of what people with dementia deal with in everyday life, so I can help them as a pharmacist."
As a Brand Ambassador for her faculty, Ratidzo shares her experiences with prospective students - another role that will benefit her CV.
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Ratidzo, from Sheffield, has always known she wanted to work in a health-related field to help people. After undertaking various work placements, she chose Pharmacy because of the patient interaction.
Although she had received a university offer, Ratidzo wanted to take a course accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council, so went through the options available through Clearing.
"I didn't know much about DMU so came to an Open Day and I liked the campus," said the now second-year student.
"The course is challenging - and amazing. The lecturers are so supportive and are there to offer a helping hand.
"We do a variety of placements to give us a feel for different fields, so by the time we graduate we'll be better able to make a decision."
Ratidzo has found the Interprofessional Education - which involves students and practitioners from a range of health and social care professions learning together - particularly "insightful" and "beneficial" for her hospital placements.
In any spare time, Zimbabwean-born Ratidzo enjoys events at the Southern Africa Society, which she set up with a friend.
"We identified a gap and filled it with a society to celebrate, and learn more about, the variety of cultures within our region," she added.
Posted on Thursday 10 May 2018