Zara Etchells

Student at Queen’s University Belfast

Helensburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

About

Experience

  • Royal Naval Reserve (Part-time · 2 yrs 5 mos)
    • A/Midshipman
      May 2025 - May 2026 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Promoted to Acting Midshipman for my dedication and contribution to my unit

    • Charity Lead
      Sep 2024 - Sep 2025 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Charity Lead for 2024-2025 organising unit participation in the Edinburgh Marathon Relay on 25th May 2025 in support of two fantastic causes—OddBalls and Teenage Cancer Trust.

    • Officer Cadet
      Jan 2024 - May 2025 · 1 yr 5 mos

      Attended the 10th annual Yale NROTC Strategy and Leadership Conference in March 2025

  • Legal Work Experience at GunnerCooke at gunnercooke
    Aug 2025 - Aug 2025 · 1 mo

  • Volunteer at BAAS - Be Aware And Share
    May 2024 - Jun 2024 · 2 mos

    At the Community Centre in Ioannina Greece, I supported displaced individuals by managing our free clothes shop, preparing daily meals for up to 150 people, providing child care and helping navigate language and cultural barriers. I helped with weekly restocking and cleaning, which taught me the importance of teamwork, logistics, and adaptability under pressure. At times, emotionally challenging, this experience reinforced my commitment to humanitarian work and taught me valuable lessons in empathy, resilience, and setting healthy boundaries. Working in a diverse, high-pressure environment strengthened my communication, cultural sensitivity, and understanding of refugee and asylum systems.

  • Founder of Lomond School Model UN at Lomond School
    2021 - 2023 · 2 yrs

    Founder and captain of my school’s Model United Nations (MUN) club, which I established to foster student engagement in international diplomacy, debate, and foreign policy. Motivated by a future career in diplomatic and political relations, I built the club through presentations at school assemblies, leading weekly training sessions, and securing our place in international conferences. Our delegation's first conference was held by the University of Edinburgh MUN. I represented Estonia in the WHO committee and was awarded Best Delegate for demonstrating exceptional negotiation skills, strategic thinking, and teamwork. The experience strengthened my desire to enter the diplomatic space, and consolidated my leadership, communication, and organisational skills.