I’m a Vietnamese postgraduate student in MA Applied Linguistics at Cardiff University. Since the beginning of my course, I’d been thinking about volunteering, and I specifically set out to find a position in a cancer charity.

My mother has been living with colon cancer for three years now and her journey has shown me how important it is for cancer patients to receive both accurate information and inspiring news, which is the dual goal that many cancer charities aim to achieve. I was also fascinated by the field of Health Communication, in which Linguistics plays a significant role.

As far as I’m aware, there is currently no major organisation dedicated to offering various types of support to cancer patients in Vietnam so I wanted to learn how these charities are run. When I found Tenovus Cancer Care on my university’s job search website, I didn’t hesitate to apply.

I consider myself lucky to have found the position of Digital Content Assistant. I learnt new things every time I was in the office, whether that was new medical terms or how the charities Mobile Support Units are designed.

My main responsibility was to support the Digital Content Producer in building case studies, in particular, conducting interviews and writing up stories for press and social media. These PR tasks complemented my study well as they prompted me to think about how language can be used to shape awareness of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survival.

What I enjoyed most was how I got the chance to meet and talk to so many inspiring people, from service users to staff members, volunteers, and supporters. Every time I read a patient’s story, I became more convinced that we are capable of not only living with, but living above cancer.

I was constantly amazed by other volunteers and supporters. They always find new ways to contribute their time and effort, from setting up fundraising events and selling handcrafted merchandise, to working in shops and supporting teams across the charity.

The Marketing and Communications team are all incredible, in terms of both work ethics and work culture. I’m grateful to have been part of a big, loving family of brilliant professionals.