Love, Youngsung

Kia ora and nice to meet you. I am starting a little bland but I think it is always important to clear the basics before you pizzaz the floor. So, who am I? My name is Youngsung, a Korean New Zealander completing my final year of medicine. 

My Silverline journey begins in 2020. As part of an established cultural club, we wanted to make our term a bit more memorable than our predecessors. In our efforts, we hosted numerous social events, set records at the food fest and introduced the fun but integral parts of our culture to Dunedin. We all thought that it was going great. However, it was only until halfway through the year that I realised our ‘fun’ was not helping the issues fresh immigrant students faced. Problems such as belonging, cultural identity, language and isolation were abundant amongst immigrant students and there were no mediums to address any of their stressors. We had a cause but no experience, so, that is when we reached out to Silverline to aid our quest for better cultural wellbeing. 

Our first event was called “Our House.” The idea was to create thematic rooms that would encompass different elements of conversation such as individuality and family. The reception was loved, the experience was amazing and I came home that night feeling that I had grown from my vulnerabilities. I am certain that most of our attendees shared a mutual feeling with me too. The friends that started Our House still call it their ‘baby.’ It was our ambitious mark to tap into the world of mental well-being and one of the most fulfilling moments we shared. 

Our events embody inclusion, understanding, compassion, love, acceptance and fun. We emanate these attributes because these are the values of the team, thus, the values of the Studio. We have the studio mums who act as strong pillars of guidance and who are always available for advice. We have our cousins at Unicrew, who share the same drive for the mental Mahi and our immediate family at Silverline. We all experienced hardships along the way but we worked through these together as a team, as friends and as family. That to me was the coolest part of this journey.

Being a part of this team has shone a light on the privilege of my background and the work we can accomplish to achieve equity for all. It does not take a lot to listen, but it means a lot to feel listened to. I know that the things I have learned here will not only guide me in everyday life but also help me recreate the same sense of comfort and belonging to any of the patients I meet in the future.

I say this with conviction, Silverline will forever be one of the highlights of my Uni career. 

Kind regards,

Youngsung Jang.