Students of USYD stories of growth, covid-19, challenges and belonging
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging2
In the spirit of reconciliation Students of USYD acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
Students of USYD is an initiative of staff and students from the Charles Perkins Centre Musculoskeletal Research Group and The Kolling Institute Back Pain Research Group. This project has been created with support from the University of Sydney’s Co-curricular Grant program, but has been independently created and released by the individual authors without the involvement or editorial control of the University of Sydney. Opinions expressed in this project are those of the individuals and do not (necessarily) reflect the opinions of the University of Sydney. Visit our website: https://studentsofusyd.wixsite.com/studentsofusyd
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James Puterflam James is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Having an appreciation for storytelling and how it enables the sharing of knowledge and wisdom, he hopes that the stories of students and staff will help to inspire students to overcome the challenges they may face whilst studying at USYD. In this way, those who share their experiences will become like guides helping travellers from a foreign place.
Alessandra Marcelo Born and raised in Singapore, Alessandra moved to Sydney in 2015 to further her studies after working as a Writer and Fashion Stylist. Through a series of very fortunate events, she has since started her career as a Physiotherapist and as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Inspired by her own journey of twists and turns, she believes that every USYD student has their own story to tell. She hopes that this project will provide a platform for voices less heard and stories yet unread, shining the light on the courage and creativity of our student community.
Emma Ho Emma is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Emma is passionate about exploring avenues to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion at the University of Sydney. She believes that the student experience extends beyond academic performance, and envisions this project will help showcase the diverse and colourful voices of USYD students - the fabric of University of Sydney campuses.
Meet The Editors
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging Editor’s Note
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging4
Yours Sincerely, The Students of USYD Editors
The University of Sydney is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in Australia. However, beyond academic performance, the appeal of USYD is the shared commitment to celebrating the richness and depth that diversity brings to our campuses.
Students of USYD aims to provide a platform for students and staff from any background to share openly about their experience of being a USYD student or interacting with USYD students. You will find stories to the themes of COVID-19, Challenges, Growth and Belonging, submitted by your fellow students and staff so that we can journey along with them. We’ve heard incredible stories of diversity, stories of difficulty, stories of dramatic transformations that we are sure will inspire you as you flip through these pages. We are incredibly privileged to have been entrusted with these stories of our fellow students (and staff) of USYD and are so proud to be able to share them with you in this Weformat.hope that you will enjoy reading these stories as much as we have and be reminded that as students (and staff) of USYD, we never walk this journey alone.
Stories of Growth, 5 3 Meet The Editors 4 Editor’s Note 7 Turning a nightmare into a ray of hope By: Anna Singleton 12 A neurodivergent world By: A Neurodivergent Vignette 16 Big move to the big smoke By: Chelsea Trimble 18 Colombian higher degree international student at Sydney University By: Carlos Mesa 20 The next wave By: Daniel Robert Crockford 24 Learning differently By: Stephanie 28 Beyond the classroom By: Adam Lipschitz Content
Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging - Students of USYD 7 My PhD journey has been a rollercoaster of personal and global challenges, from my best friend being diagnosed with breast cancer to the COVID19 pandemic halting research and patient care worldwide. But this is also a story of facing fears, overcoming adversity and new beginnings. Let’s break it down: The call you never want to receive One day in 2017, my best friend Molly wanted to Facetime. Now, to give some context, I have been friends with Molly since we were 5 years old and she had never asked me to Facetime, even when I moved to Australia. Molly was NOT the Facetiming type. You know the ones… immediately hang up and text you instead? That’s her. So, I thought “She must have important news… maybe she’s pregnant!”. When the call started, I was smiling ear to ear, expecting to be surprised with a miniMolly on the way. Instead, Molly was very serious and looked a bit defeated, saying “Oh…you thought this would be good news…”. My heart sank. My mind started racing with the horrible possibilities, but reality was worse. Molly was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery was the next week. Over the next few months of treatment, I tried
Dr Anna Singleton Faculty of Medicine and Health. Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine).
Theme: Challenges Turning a Nightmare into a Ray of Hope
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging8 to support her in any way I could from across the world; text messages, funny images to cheer her up and little gifts to let her know I was thinking of her. Then, Molly’s journey with breast cancer took a surprising turn with one simple email: PhD serendipity
I hadn’t shared Molly’s diagnosis with my colleagues yet… it was hard to talk about on the best of days. But on the day of Molly’s third chemotherapy treatment, I received an email from my PhD supervisor Prof Julie Redfern explaining that a Specialist Breast Cancer Surgeon (A/Prof Elisabeth Elder) had voiced interest in developing a PhD project around supporting women with breast cancer using text messages. I immediately burst into tears (thank goodness I was working from home!). Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could do it. Was it too close to home? Would I spend every day of my PhD crying? I mean, I expected a bit of crying (PhD students am I right?), but every day seemed excessive. I took the week to think about it. I talked to Molly, and she thought it would be a great opportunity to support people with breast cancer in a new way. Little did she know, she was SO RIGHT. Turning nightmarea into a ray of hope It turns out, each year over 20,000 Australian women finish breast cancer treatment like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Women’s most common request was to have more contact with their oncology team between medical visits to make recovery easier. Molly could 100% relate. Over the next year, Molly and I worked with a team of breast cancer survivors, health professionals and researchers to create a health and wellness program called “EMPOWER-SMS” to support women’s recovery after treatment. EMPOWERSMS delivered 6-months of health tips, advice and links Although 98% are alive, the mental and physical toll treatment takes on the body can last years.”
From supportAustralia-widelockdownsCOVID19to COVID19 closed breast cancer support everywhere. People with breast cancer were scared and wondering how to stay safe. We quickly adapted EMPOWER-SMS into a COVID-19 version, I remember one day I felt really down, and I got this simple message that said ‘You are important and you are beautiful – have a great day!’ And that just put me to tears. I was just like ‘Okay, I’m not alone in this’ and my day, I felt better.”
Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging - Students of USYD 9 to helpful websites and free local wellness programs via text messages (4messages/ week). Now, if I’m being honest, I didn’t see how a few text messages could help anyone. I’m guessing you were thinking the same thing? Luckily, we were both 160wrong.women EMPOWER-SMStestedin a clinical trial; 80 received EMPOWERSMS for 6-months and 80 received usual care. At the end of the program, 100% of women said EMPOWER-SMS was easy-to-understand, 91% said it was useful and 70% said it helped them manage their health. We also did focus groups (interviews), and women felt EMPOWERSMS continued their care between medical visits, was a convenient way to receive health information from someone they trusted, and they appreciated the links to breast cancer websites and free programs. But the real moment I knew we had, had a real impact on people’s life, was when one participant (age 60) said: It feels silly, but a simple message CAN have a huge Butimpact.that’s not where the story ends…
The COVID-19 pandemic brought up a lot of questions about researchers. Who are we? What do we do? Are we evil people trying to do harm?”
PS. Molly is still cancer-free and beyond proud that her breast cancer experience could help so many people. In other news clear up misconceptions and introduce you to the wonderful researchers at the University of Sydney, my colleague Rebecca Raeside (PhD Candidate) and I co-founded the “We’ve done the research” podcast, available anywhere you get your podcasts from March 2022. We can’t wait to continue the conversation!
What’s next? I’m happy to end on some more good news. EMPOWER-SMS will soon be part of standard medical care at 2 hospitals, with hopes of integrating into more hospitals and GP practices by 2024. We’re also working with volunteer organisations and Indigenous leaders in Northwest Territories Canada to deliver a new ‘EMPOWER-NWT’ to rural and remote communities.
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging10 that had updated health guidelines, helpful websites, and suggestion for how to stay healthy at home. We made it available to all Australians, promoting through social media and well-known networks (McGraths Foundation, Breast Cancer Network Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation’s Register4 program). Within 6-months, 850 breast cancer survivors signed up. The feedback blew us away, with 88% of participants feeling supported and 70% saying it helped improve their diet and exercise. And did I mention it only cost us $15AUD to send to each person? I spend more on one pub feed!
To
A Neurodivergent Vignette
A new day is ushered in as my cat claims her position on my chest, her silky body pressing down on my chest. Not long after, the pressure is joined by anxiety for a new day. How many things I need to do, how many things won’t get done! I carefully push the tips of my fingers underneath my cat, recruiting the muscles of my forearm and with uncertain strength I lift her. My brain flickers on at 9:30, and tension gathers at my temples and my shoulders rise towards my ears, my desperate attempts to focus feel like a punch to the I drag myself to my well-worn desk chair, with two minutes to spare, for another day of staring at my peers in little square boxes on my laptop.”
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Faculty of Medicine and Health. Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy).
Theme: COVID and/or Challenges. A Neurodivergent World
Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging - Students of USYD 13 soft tissue of the brain. I type away at my computer, a perfect, functioning human. From outside my window, I imagine myself a caricature, perfectly fulfilling my role alongside the adjacent apartments that stretch on, inhabited by many fraught with restlessness, as they work from home for another day. I struggled to understand the restlessness experienced by people on a mass scale during the pandemic. As the world withdrew, a feeling of satisfaction crept in. I learnt shame very young. I learnt it through perpetual lateness at Saturday sport. My propensity to speak, feel and move my way through solutions, as opposed to completing my endless worksheets. My teacher sitting down, explaining long division to me, over and over, as though he would transplant the information into my head, not once changing the way he presented the information. Perpetually forgetting my hat during recess and lunch, I was sent to the time out area, as I watched the hand ball game continue without me. I sat on the sidelines, angry that the teacher did not recognise my argument, that she too, was not in fact wearing a hat. As I got older, I spent long afternoons in sick bay as I tried to avoid stuffy, noisy classrooms, where knees brushed against yours and the starchy uniform collar scratched against the back of my neck and noises from the outside world wafted in through the windows, low enough to let light in, too high to see through. For those who move through the world always feeling out of step, bowing out entirely is bound to come, sooner or later. For those who are overwhelmed by the world, the subdued quiet of lockdown was a welcomed table.“thegivenwithencouragedfriend,ingustoandaseatatheadofthe
This was facilitated by months at home. Until this point, I did not know much I crave quiet, unpeopled places. No one to perform for, no one talking at me as their words hit my ears and get lost on the way from my ear canal to my brain. The expectant look people have. The lack of information I have. “I was listening, I promise” I say. The searing burn of a question unanswered or a joke unacknowledged. The changing sensory input creating the endless cycle of reabsorbing the world, over and over again. When one experiences the neurodivergent world, one may notice it in others. I see young gaggles of girl, and locate one who is straining to process her friends lighting fast recount of a story, over the hiss of a nearby coffee machine and the mechanical thumps as the grains are hit out of the strainer. I know the world that girl lives in, because I live there too.
My affinity for the known and comfortable sequesters me to the world of the safe, the predictable.”
Hi, I’m Chelsea. A newcomer to the USYD community, I started my journey as a Student Life Coordinator within the Office of Student Life in the midst of lockdown in August. Newcastle born and bred, I had spent the first 30 years of my life surrounded by family and friends in the beachside town. Working in Higher Education wasn’t really on my radar as I navigated high school. Unlike both of my sisters, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I ’grew up’. Education was always important to me, along with continuously striving towards the ‘next thing’, which was most likely built into my DNA after spending many years as a child athlete. After trying 4 different degrees, there was finally a graduation in the area of Business/Human Resources. What I didn’t know at the time was that my casual 4hr per week position in the University of Newcastle Enquiry Centre would be the launchpad for a career that I love.
Chelsea Trimble
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Office of Student Life.
Theme: Growth. Big move to the big smoke
The beauty of a career within Higher Education is the incredible diversity and opportunity that comes along with it. I found myself jumping between student facing roles and even trying out my degree taking a secondment in HR in the university setting. What became clear to me fairly quickly, was that working with students and enhancing their journey through education was my true passion. The area in particular that stole my heart was that of the Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre at The University ...working with students and enhancing their journey through education was my true passion.”
Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging - Students of USYD 17 of Newcastle. Assisting a diverse range of students pursue their dream of attending further learning in a higher education setting was extremely rewarding and taught me the importance and need for strong support for all students, to aid in both success and a sense of belonging in an institution.
I had reached my dream role of Team Leader in this area and although my passion for this team was incredibly strong, a tragedy in the family in late 2020 changed my course once again. A reminder that life is fleeting and that there is no better time than now to take on a new challenge or opportunity. The University of Sydney to me was something to aspire to within the realms of higher education in Australia.
The ability to be inspired each day by not only the professional and academic staff that work alongside me but most importantly the students who truly make logging in at 9am each day worthwhile.”
I am excited to see where my career in higher education can take me supported by the amazing USYD community.
The change to progress my career amongst the history, esteem and pure beauty of the campus was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I feel incredibly lucky to have landed in a line of work that feels like home.
Carlos Mesa
To celebrate the richness and depth of cultural diversity that can be found at the University of Sydney, I am honoured to share the challenges and growth during my PhD candidature as an international higher degree student from Colombia. I include these experiences from three viewpoints, starting from my viewpoint and pathway to study at Sydney university as a foreign student, the viewpoint of Colombia as a country and its arguments to support a citizen of a developing country, and the Australian viewpoint regarding the acceptance of non-permanent resident in a developed country. Colombian foreigner student.
Theme: COVID. Challenges.
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Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences.
The first challenge that higher degree international students may encounter is passing the eligibility criteria for admission that each university impose. For example, finding a supervisor might be the first task. I already had experience in finding supervisors when I travelled to Brazil to complete a masters’ degree. Therefore, the decision to select my PhD supervisor was centred on the experience and work colleagues had with the academic. So, excellent references are critical. The second requirement was passing an English test, and perhaps this is the main obstacle for most foreign students. It took me six months of preparation and two failed tests to finally get the necessary score. However, all this process was worth after meeting the infrastructure of the University of Sydney and the iconic places of the Australian city. Once the university sent me the admission letter, happiness and pride were the main feelings.
PhD in Health sciences.
A Colombian higher degree international student at Sydney University
The celebrations.”food,communication,asdifferencestherebeencultureprocessadaptationtoanewhasnoteasyandaremanysuchlanguageandmusic,and
Therefore, the challenge for the few students awarded with the scholarship is to return to our country to help build a better environment and conditions that help to improve the growth and quality of the system.“education
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I was fortunate of being awarded a Colombian government scholarship that allowed me to visit and study in Australia. The application to the scholarship program was relatively easy and not very competitive, this is because in Colombia it is more common to start working early after obtaining a degree in the university and I was privileged of having access to education compared with many other compatriots. Although the investment in science and technology and, free education from school to university is increasing slowly, it is still very low compared to other sectors such as the military and police.
I also found making friends in Australia a bit more complex compared to my previous experiences travelling through South American countries. However, it is fascinating telling my family and friends that I have met people from all around the world by studying at Sydney Uni and that I could visit them any time. A citizen from a country.developing
Foreign students in Australia. The role of foreign students in most Australian universities can be explained from the financial sphere because it is an important source of income. But foreign students also contribute with the passion, talent, and desire to move forward. Sydney Uni offers amazing infrastructure and a rich cultural experience that still has space to improve, for example supporting more students from developing countries and advocating the use of sustainable modes of transport. The students from the University of Sydney can find within the university buildings and spaces, a safe place to learn, have fun, practice sports, and meet very intelligent people from all over the world.
Faculty of Medicine and Health. Master of Theme:Philosophy.Challenges.
Turning a Nightmare into a Ray of Hope
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In 2015, I started studying medicine at the University of Sydney after an arduous decision over my career choices. It’s a decision many are faced with at that time of life and only a good education can be your guide. Despite that it determines the direction of a lifetime. I took several years to consider this as no one in my family had ever tried to become a doctor, so I had no reference to its demands. However, I was a bird on the breeze, as if I were made to treat people. I sat in surgeries, clinics, and spent nights in the emergency department at Royal Prince Alfred to check I could cope with the demands that came with the job. By luck, a high school friend of mine started medicine in the same cohort as me which meant that I already had a study partner, like I just had to add a stitch to an already rich tapestry. By my second year, I was tutoring, sports coaching, working in a bike shop and doing research in a lab at the university. It was early the following year, I met someone that changed my life.
Daniel Robert Crockford
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following year to pursue my other passion, scientific research, by doing a Master of Philosophy at the university with the same group that I had been working with. It was 2017 by now and I was still doing the same sorts of things I had a year ago. My intention was to convert my MPhil to a PhD so I could keep working on it while I completed my time at medical school. I looked for places that my partner and I could move-in to. In July, I had a stroke. With some complications, I was in a coma for most of the rest of the year. I finally left hospital in October of the next year. My partner and I moved in together in 2019. My new task, unexpectedly, was getting better. I couldn’t walk; use either hand properly; speak properly; swallow properly or read. Life was quite different from what I expected at the start of my medical degree. Throughout my recovery, I’ve needed a lot of help and, only by receiving aid, have I gotten to any point. I’m just the ball being passed among a team that’s gaining advantage. I never knew what I was
Near the end of my second year in medical school, my mum was in a fatal car accident while riding her bike. We spent about two weeks going to see her condition in the hospital. Her heart had kept pumping though nothing else worked. After two weeks, the decision was made that everything which could be tried, had been. Despite this set-back, I didn’t faulter in any Iexaminations.deferredthe
There was a chasm between how I was and how I thought I should have
Ibeen.”hadplanned to see an apartment in the afternoon but that morning I was rushed into the emergency department, this time as a patient. ”
The process of recovery was like perpetual lockdown and there was a lot of work to be done so there would need to be a big change. I had reached a point where I could use my hands well enough to use a keyboard and my eyesight was good enough now that I could read from a large computer monitor. Once again, I enrolled in a MPhil degree. I could re-skill as a different kind of scientist. I’d learn to work from home and a degree would prove I was good at it. There had been several critical changes at USyd in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which meant that I could no longer work with the same supervisor as before. I could work with someone who had similar interests to my old supervisor, with a more computerheavy approach. Enrolment was the next hurdle. It’s like paddling up a wave. A lot of effort and clever timing is needed to get through it but it’s very relieving when it’s done and it’s time to float down the other side. Of course, the respite is shortlived as the next wave is visible and approaching by the time you reach the trough.”
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capable of – it’s not something I could ever have done before – instead I keep getting supported up this slope.
Theme: Challenges. Learning Differently We were no longer motivated by joy and excitement, but by fear of failing.” I found I was falling behind and became more fearful and the more I felt fearful, the more I felt shame. I had been told all my life I was smart and now suddenly I wasn’t.”
Students of USYD - Stories of Growth, COVID-19, Challenges and Belonging24 I used to be what you might call a “Gifted Child”. I was academically brilliant. I loved to learn and thrived in the structure of primary school and early high school. I always felt as though learning offered its own rewards, but teachers also offered their own extra rewards and incentives. I remember 8th grade history class when my teacher said that we would be learning about the Aztecs and at the end of the module in the last class we would play trivial pursuit and there would be chocolates and toys as prizes for those who did will. I was top of my class. I wanted to win that game. After that though, things Aschanged..Iprogressed through high school, those extra rewards disappeared and the way the teachers spoke to us about the purpose of education changed too. We were no longer learning for fun and excitement, but because we had to achieve the best scores for our school certificate and then we had to make sure we got a high enough University entrance score otherwise our career prospects would be severely limited. That’s when I feel like my symptoms of ADHD really became a barrier to my learning. When learning was no longer fun, I found myself being distracted by things that felt more fun. After high school I was too scared to go to university straight away. I took some time off to have fun and entered as a mature aged student once I forgot about how scary and stressful education was and my memories of how much fun it was had become stronger in hindsight. At the beginning of my degree everything felt fresh and exciting, so I was more motivated but then the stress kicked in and again. It was no longer that I was learning out of fun, but I was learning to try and achieve the best score so I could be accepted into the best postgraduate program. I used to be what you might call a “Gifted Child”. I was academically brilliant. I Stephanie Arts and Social Sciences. Bachelor of Arts
Majoring in Psychology and Gender Studies.
I’m in therapy myself and it’s been helpful. One thing that has been incredibly motivational for me is my psychologist telling me regularly that I would make an incredible psychologist. She tells me that I have a wealth of knowledge from my personal experience and that she is frequently impressed by my insight and in fact, she has even learnt some things from me which she has been able to utilise to help guide therapy with her other clients.
loved to learn and thrived in the I was finally diagnosed with ADHD about halfway through my degree and have been grateful for the USYD disability services and ability to have some extra allowances, but the methods by which I am taught haven’t changed. I still must try my best to keep up with a curriculum that was not built with my abilities in mind. I am constantly stressed, and I must struggle, working harder than everyone else to achieve even close to the same standard. I try to keep myself motivated by thinking of my future career. I want to be a clinical psychologist so I can help people, like myself, to achieve what they want to be able to achieve, in a world that is not built with them in mind.
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The thing is, I know I would be an incredible psychologist. I know it. But first, I must get through my degree. Before I can be judged on my capacity to therapeutically guide someone to become the best version of themselves, I must be judged on my capacity to retain and regurgitate academic knowledge at a level that is difficult for me to achieve in the little time given in a semester. I often wonder if I will make it to where I know I can be. I look at the grade averages prescribed to be able to enter the post-graduate programs I want, and I feel deflated. I wonder how many other people there are like me at USYD who would be fantastic in their desired career if they were
If instead of an exam, I were asked to write an informal story about all the things I’ve learnt over a semester and how I’ve been able to apply them to my everyday life and how I would apply them to my career in future, I am sure it would become clear that I have learnt an incredible amount and I have passionately engaged with the course content. But students aren’t assessed on their passion. They’re not assessed on their enjoyment. Students aren’t assessed on all that they have learnt and how but are assessed on having retained very specific details and being able to recall them in a highly specific way. An exam might ask me to recall the name of a process that is described in a vague manor, and suddenly my mind is blank. Perhaps if the exam asked me to detail what I know about this process in my own words, I could show how much I have learnt and how much I do know. But that’s not the question, is it? It doesn’t matter if I know everything else there is to know about this process if all they want to know is that I can recall the name of it.
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I am constantly left wondering if the fact that I cannot achieve that is because I’m stupid? Or is it because the way students are assessed is stupid and outdated?
assessed in a different way? We may not be as academically gifted as others, but what if we were assessed more practically?
The biggest challenge to me in my education is that I could make the things I’ve learnt sound like beautiful poetry and inspire passion, but I am assessed on my ability to relay information in the most dry and uninspiring way.”
I wonder how the landscape of education and qualified and passionate people entering the workforce might change if people could learn and be assessed in different ways that might align better with their abilities? I would be thrilled to see USYD leading with new innovations that could lead to higher student and staff satisfaction and an increase in the number of high-level graduates as a result. What a wonderful way to celebrate diversity that would be.”
Adam Lipschitz Faculty of Science. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Advanced Studies
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The University of Sydney has given me the tools necessary to learn beyond the classroom. The Open EnvironmentLearninghasallowed me to build skills in areas outside of my degree. The hard-working faculty in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences have developed my appreciation for natural systems, with lab instructors helping me plan out a garden in my own backyard during lockdown. Thanks to USYD’s passionate staff I have been able to grow as a student and diversify my skillset in areas that I previously had very little interest in, and I now have a garden to show for it!
Theme: Growth Beyond The Classroom
Celebrating the richness, depth, and diversity of The Students of USYD.
