Bridging education and empathy in Aotearoa’s rainbow community

Fifth-year University of Auckland student Margaret Chea recently received a MAS Here for Good Scholarship, which rewards students who actively volunteer and make a difference in their communities. With a diverse academic background spanning psychology, Chinese, and statistics, Margaret also devotes time to supporting Aotearoa’s rainbow community through her work with OutLine.  

OutLine is a nationwide, all-ages rainbow mental health organisation. In the twelve months to March 2023, it handled more than 3,000 support phone calls and online chat sessions and provided almost 1,000 individual counselling sessions.  

With demand growing for its services all the time, Outline relies on a base of motivated volunteers. This includes people like Margaret Chea, a 22-year-old University of Auckland student in her fifth year of an Arts and Science conjoint degree majoring in psychology, Chinese and statistics.   

Margaret says her interest in social justice issues, especially those affecting specific communities, was shaped in part by her upbringing in the South Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu. This led her to study psychology, which has given her insights into how biological and socio-cultural factors can influence thought and behaviour.  

“Through my university studies, I began to understand how these issues impact outcomes for various communities and contribute to the disparities they face," Margaret says.   

Discovering a path with OutLine 

Margaret says she was drawn to volunteering because she knew real-world experience in mental health would be valuable, especially if she decided to pursue a career in the field. After looking at several options, Margaret discovered that Outline was looking for volunteers for their training program.  

“With Outline, I had the chance to work directly with the rainbow community, or supporting their close friends and family, which felt like the right path for me," Margaret says.   

While she admits that volunteering for OutLine can be challenging at times, Margaret also says the work is “hugely rewarding”, especially when she knows she has made a real difference to people looking for support.  

“For example, I recently had a conversation with someone who was just starting to explore their gender identity. I was probably the first person they really opened up to about that, and they even asked if I could help them find a new gender-affirming name. To me, that was very special,” Margaret says.   

Moreover, her experience at OutLine has given Margaret a unique vantage point. She has been able to observe firsthand the evolving dynamics of acceptance within the Rainbow community in New Zealand. While she acknowledges the progress made, she's acutely aware of the challenges that remain, especially for trans and non-binary individuals. 

"I would say things have become more accepting for some people. However, there's still a lot more work, advocacy, and support needed for others within the rainbow community," Margaret says.  

From education to real-world impact 

With a solid academic foundation and several months of volunteering experience under her belt, Margaret is now looking ahead to graduation and what happens next. She says clinical psychology is definitely on her radar, but she’s in no rush to make a firm decision.   

“While I’m still young I want to make sure I have the opportunity to explore different avenues of work which align with my values and goals. I haven’t had a full-time career so it’s important for me to try different things before I make any commitments,” Margaret says.   

Those things include diving into the world of health, safety and wellbeing with an internship at Kāinga Ora over the summer. It's a challenging domain, but given Margaret's track record, she's more than up for the task. 

And to demonstrate just how much Margaret believes in the work being done by OutLine, she also intends to donate part of her scholarship money to the organisation.  

“I want to help them any way I can because they’re a critical service and they’ve helped me develop valuable skills for later in my life.   

“The rest of the scholarship money will go towards things like living costs - I’m still a full-time student after all, and instant noodles won’t pay for themselves!”