AROUND CAMPUS
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GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WITH DUKE OF EDINBURGH SHANNON KING
Digital Marketing & Communications Officer
O
ur young people undertake many worthwhile activities to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Occasionally, they do something extraordinary. Year 11 student, Mahi Kar Ray, is currently completing her Silver Award and, for her Voluntary Service, she has been assisting her father with a suicide prevention podcast. Earlier this year, COVID-19 restrictions made finding voluntary work tricky for Mahi, and the podcast created an opportunity for her to work on something meaningful and tangible with her father. The podcast is aimed at healthcare professionals and Mahi and her father, Manaan Kar Ray, have just finished working on Episode 17. Manaan, a psychiatrist, and Director of Mental Health at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, develops the content and writes the script and Mahi is the podcast host. She also creates the webpages for the podcast blog. Mahi spends up to three hours a week on the podcast. She reads the script first to figure out what is being said and how to say it, then records the podcast in one take with Manaan completing the editing. Mahi admits the process has been a steep learning curve, particularly with developing an understanding of the content. “Getting comfortable around the mic and understanding the context of the podcast and the terminology can be quite difficult,” she said. “Also, it has to be engaging and connect with the audience, so intonation and articulation are important.” As well as helping Mahi to develop new skills such as web design and development fundamentals, the experience has also brought her career options into clearer focus. “I’ve always been very interested in the body and how it works. I remember when I was younger my dad would bring home
books on the human body and I found them fascinating,” Mahi said. “So, I’ve always had my mind set on psychology or something in medicine. But now I’m thinking about voice acting too.” For many students, completing the Duke of Edinburgh is a journey of self-discovery and through this voluntary work, Mahi has discovered that she is more capable than she realised. “I would never have imagined two or three years ago that I would be hosting a mental health podcast as a high school student, with my dad who’s a doctor,” Mahi said. “So, this has helped me to realise I have a lot of potential.” Another benefit of this project has been the opportunity for the father and daughter to spend quality time together. Manaan said working with Mahi has brought a dimension of respect for his daughter. “Watching the transformation from the initial trepidation in week one to quiet confidence in the fourth month has been a privilege. This would never have been possible without the Service Learning aspect of Duke of Ed,” Manaan said. “I am thankful not just for the personal growth and self-belief in Mahi, but also for our time together and all the pre- and post-recording discussions in which I see a teenager who is blossoming.” Mahi has also enjoyed working with her father. “He’s very encouraging and patient with me and I end up having a lot of fun just being with my dad and spending time with him.” When asked what advice she has for students thinking about signing up for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Mahi replies, “Just do it. Grasp every opportunity the school gives you. St Peters has so many opportunities, so take every aspect and step out of your comfort zone”.
Plus Ultra | June 2022
