Love, Tia Yu
Dear Unicrew,
Do you rememer me, Tia? I was one of the many Chinese international students. It has been a while since we last met in person, but did you know that there is always a part of you in me? I hope everything is good with you, as it has been for me.
Do you remember the first time I walked through your door? I was amazed by your homie vibe, the colourful walls, and the friendly faces. As a first-year international student, I was a bit intimidated but I was excited to truly experience volunteering as a beginner. We helped at Dunedin SleepOut, International food festival, Relay for Life, and so much more.
Second-year uni I was studying Bachelor of Oral Health, and you chose me as your international coordinator. Although it was small, did you know you empowered me to think that with good intentions and good planning, I have the potential to make meaningful changes to the world? From not being fluent in English, to having the faith in myself to call New Zealand home, to having the courage to initiate changes in a foreign country, you’ve been a great help in my journey.
Remember when Umi and I did the free hugs in the Link? That was probably two of the best 30 mins of my life. After I started working, someone asked on Otago meaningful confession Facebook page, that they were stressed from finals, and asked where were the girls that did free hugs. That was truly a lollipop moment, it reminded me of the level of kindness I was able to radiate, and it reminded me that I can always radiate such kindness, as long as I want to.
Nowadays when I see my own patients, a lot of them have past trauma contributing to their dental phobia, or they might have trouble forming good habits due to mental health barriers. Until last year I truly harvest the seeds of understanding buried during Silverline festival. Patients feel heard and seen when they see me and we can truly work through obstacles as partners!
When we used to hangout, you introduced me to lots of friends. We still keep on seeing each other. Although the conversations we hold have evolved as our lives change, there’s parts of us that stay the same. We all know that we care about giving back, we all care about being kind to others, and we all care about helping with steering the world in a positive direction with even the smallest effort we can give.
Sometimes I feel the stars align and I can see why I stepped in your door that day. Although many things would have made me the person I am today, thank you for being a vital part of it. Please keep on being fabulous, keep on changing lives!
Love, Tia Yu