Graduate (2025), current postgraduate student. Name: Jess LonsdaleCategory: Alumni and studentRole: Graduate (2025), current postgraduate studentTime active with Edinburgh Medical School: 2021-present If there’s an opportunity to do something good and you can do it, then you should. I volunteer to spend time with people who have learning disabilities. We go on trips, talk, do arts and crafts, but don’t do anything that could cause an imbalance of power. It’s different to being a support worker: it’s more like being a friend. Jess Lonsdale is from Staffordshire. She moved to Edinburgh in 2021 to study biomedical sciences and is now working towards a masters degree in neuroscience. During her time as an undergraduate, she volunteered with Best Buddies Edinburgh, a student society that enables students to build connections with people in the local community who have learning disabilities. In 2024, Jess received the Our Minds scholarship to create Building Bridges with the Autism Community, an arts outreach project. The work featured in an art exhibition and is still on display at the University. Last year, Jess was awarded the Sir William Darling memorial prize, given annually to students who have done the most to enhance the University’s reputation. Jess’s prize was given in recognition of her volunteering and advocacy work for people with neurodevelopmental disorders. This article was published on 2026-03-13
