A Culture of Service

As with most things, gaining some distance from high school has made me better appreciate the lessons I was taught, and the opportunities I was given at Queenwood. I am only two years out of school and already I can see the impact that the Social Justice Program had on me. I see it in my engagement with the world around me, and my ability to navigate new challenges and connections with people.

In the college and university environment, I have been exposed to a range of new worlds, even from behind a computer screen. As I broaden my horizons and meet new people, learn, and engage more with the world – a sometimesdaunting process – I am often reminded of my experiences with Macleay Vocational College through Queenwood. Having been separated from my high school and university peers for the better part of two years, I am in awe of how we were able to create such a bond with the

MVC students in such a short period of time.

My year as Social Justice Prefect taught me some unanticipated skills; one of the most significant is creative problem-solving. When I heard about the exhibition fundraiser for MVC, I was again reminded of the power of connection through creative thinking and expression.

One of my most impactful memories from school is the trip I went on to MVC in Year 11. During one of our day visits to the school, a group of us Queenwood students took part in a short art class with MVC students. I am not a talented artist, and at the time I was just enjoying the break that painting provided from some of the other, heavier experiences of the trip. But, with hindsight, I understand the bond that was created in that classroom between me and MVC through art. Now, when I look at my small canvas, I think about how I was able to connect

>> with a whole group of people from a different place, life, and culture, through this non-verbal form of communication. Even if I do not understand art, I can understand its role as a vehicle for expression, healing, connection and culture. An art auction that connects Queenwood students with MVC students through a common medium is such a wonderful way to share our worlds and experiences. And, raising funds to purchase art equipment so that students at MVC can express themselves creates a reciprocal culture of healing and belonging. Being disconnected from much of our world during lockdown has left us with a blank canvas on which to draw new, stronger lines between our communities. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences and lessons I have gained from the Social Justice Program at Queenwood; they have given me the confidence and compassion to get involved with, and start new connections at, my college. I sometimes think about the MVC students I met, and how different our lives are. I am appreciative of that little canvas I painted at MVC –an object that holds a lot of memories, and connections. This art fundraiser is an opportunity to give someone else the ability to express themselves through art – an equalising platform for healing, and bonding. •

The My Place exhibition will live on as a time capsule, helping us remember our varied responses to the COVID-19 lockdown.