Love, Bex

Kia ora Social Impact Studio,

I’m Bex, I’m 24, writing to you from Wellington, NZ. I was a Social Impact Lead at the studio in the 2020 year. Formally, I was part of Unicrew but I often dipped my toes in Silverline mahi. I came across the studio at the Silverline Festival in 2019 and I fell in love. If you’ve been to the festival, you’ll understand what it is like to sit in a 300 - 400-person crowd, laughing, crying, and connecting, as you share some of the struggles of life, identity, and wellbeing. I can remember feeling impassioned by this space – it allowed others to sympathize and empathize with the people around them, some felt less alone, and overall, it challenged a crowd to consider how we could be a kinder, more empathetic generation of students. 

There is no student-led space that parallels the Studio. The Studio, to me, demonstrates how your peers can become some of the best teachers you will ever have. The learning that takes place here is not the kind you will find in a lecture hall, on the sports field, or the shelves of the library. For me, this space is where I found my first footholds in critical thinking, storytelling and whakawhanaungatanga. Sze-En, Amal, and Maddi challenged us to think outside the box on how to get students excited about social impact. We were encouraged to use our own and others’ stories to champion meaningful conversations around mental health, wellbeing, and social justice issues. We were challenged to draw on our individual and collective strengths to create experiences and space that encouraged the social change we wanted to see. In this, the Studio provided opportunities to build skills in leadership, teamwork, facilitation, and advocacy. From working with my studio mates to bring together ‘good deeds and feeds’, to facilitating UniCrew intro sessions for students, to creating space for international students to talk about their struggles in a new home; I feel privileged to have had learning experiences that since leaving, I have not seen or had elsewhere.  

These skills and experience have been critical to developing who I am and what I do now and have ensured my confident and thought-through approach to social justice. Currently, I’m studying toward my Master’s in Health Psychology at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. Health Psychology is concerned with how identity, race, class, and social life can influence physical and mental health. My thesis investigates an expectation many young people feel to pursue excellent standards across the domains of their lives – whether in their studies, careers, physical appearance, mental health, friendships, relationships, etc – there is extraordinary pressure to have it all. I’m interested in how social media platforms like Instagram help to reinforce this pressure. 

Part-time, I do research with the University and Capital and Coast DHB. I have recently finished a major review of health services available for those of extreme size (BMI 40 +). People of extreme size face undue discrimination, harassment, and dismissal in accessing appropriate health care. We worked to identify gaps in the care of these patients to challenge a more empathetic, person-centred approach toward people of larger size.

My career and study choices are in part informed by my experience at the Studio. I see what I do both in my studies and in my part-time work, to be a form of social action. I could not be here without having had the opportunity to explore this passion and excitement for social justice at Otago. I feel so privileged to have opportunities to make healthcare more equitable in Aotearoa and I cannot thank the Studio enough for lighting the flame and supporting me to have the skills to do what I do now. 

Best, 

Bex Chrystall