Leading by example

The latest MAS Here for Good scholarship recipients include an inspirational pain-management advocate, a volunteer making running more accessible for all, and a politics student encouraging the next generation of global leaders.

Standing up for invisible illness

When Courtney du Preez developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome following surgery on her wrist, the excruciating condition changed her life. Five years later, the 25-year-old occupational therapy student is using her first-hand knowledge of coping with chronic pain to advocate for better treatment for others facing similar health battles.

“I’m really interested in pain management as it’s a huge topic and there is so much to it,” she says. “There are lots of different angles, and it can be quite misunderstood.”

In between full-time studies at Auckland University of Technology, Courtney has worked with trainee clinicians to find better ways to diagnose and manage chronic pain conditions. She has supported PhD students in their studies into pain treatments in New Zealand, is currently taking part in a research project, and has shared her own health experiences with a range of organisations in the hope of raising awareness of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

“If there is one positive thing I can do from this experience with chronic pain, it’s to help someone else,” she says. “The issue with chronic pain is that it's mostly invisible, and it’s a silent disease. Throughout my experience with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, I’ve been judged and invalidated. So, I want to support both students and clinicians to understand how debilitating chronic pain is and that pain can also be a life-limiting disease.”

Courtney plans to use the MAS scholarship funds for study materials and university costs, as well as for travel expenses involved with her advocacy work and research. She says winning an individual scholarship was a huge surprise. “I was so shocked that when they called to tell me, I froze on the phone!”

For now, the second-year student is focused on her busy study schedule, and in future, she hopes to continue to use her knowledge to help people who are suffering.

“Occupational therapy has meant I can study all the areas I’m really interested in, like pain management, sports medicine and exercise prescription, all while looking at the whole person, not just the injuries. I love being able to combine physical therapy with the mental health side as well.

“Eventually I want to work towards getting a PhD, and I would really like to one day have my own practice specialising in pain management.”

Inspiring future diplomats

When it comes to memorable experiences, sitting in Wellington’s Beehive playing the role of a diplomat has to be right up there. And it’s all part of the event schedule for UN Youth Wellington, an organisation that offers rangatahi from across the lower North Island the chance to learn about politics and international relations in a unique, hands-on way.

For UN Youth Wellington president, Charlie Mudgway, it’s about offering high school students an insight into a world they may not have thought about before.

“Our events simulate a UN law process, and students get to take on the role of a diplomat,” he says. “They need to research a range of topics, and some of them take on a pretty strict persona! Part of it is getting them to understand these institutions' implications on our everyday lives. And it also teaches leadership and cooperation skills, as sometimes in the role of a diplomat, they have to argue things they don’t necessarily agree with.”

The organisation is run entirely by university student volunteers, and through its flagship events and programmes in schools, it reaches more than 1,500 potential political change-makers every year. UN Youth Wellington was a recipient of a MAS Here for Good group scholarship, and Charlie says the funds will go towards giving even more young people access to new experiences.

“We were thrilled to receive a scholarship. We rely entirely on external funding, so every dollar goes towards bettering our community. We’ll be splitting the MAS grant in half, so part of it will go towards transport and volunteer costs for our events like the Youth Climate Conference and the United Nations simulation. The other half will go towards in-school programmes like our free conferences. These are held in Gisborne, New Plymouth and Hawke’s Bay, and are always really popular with the students.”

For Charlie, a third-year politics and history student at Victoria University, taking on the role of UN Youth Wellington president was about paying it forward.

“It was a UN Youth event at my school that turned me onto politics,” he says. “It showed me this whole other side to something that was completely new to me, and it had a major impact. That’s the reason I want to give back through this role. I think if we can provide a student with an insight into something that becomes a passion or leads to a career path, or sparks an interest, that’s what it’s all about. It’s exciting to be able to provide young people with a new perspective.”

Learning through volunteering

At the beginning of med school, Lorna Pairman joined a running club to help her cope with the stress of studying. Before long she wasn’t just hooked on pounding the pavements, in her newfound role as an organiser for running events for students, she found she got a kick out of volunteering and leadership, too.

“Volunteering is a great way to get out of the medical school bubble,” she says. “And I know it’s a cliche, but I just really enjoy helping others, and I get so much satisfaction from it.”  

Between an extensive list of volunteering and advocacy roles like New Zealand Medical Student Association Representative for the Christchurch Medical Student Association, she kept up the running, and now exercise has led her to one of her favourite volunteer gigs of them all.

Achilles is an organisation that promotes accessibility in sport, and Lorna says guiding athletes who are vision impaired, blind or neurodiverse is both inspirational and rewarding.

“The person you are guiding puts a lot of trust in you and, at first, I was terrified of making a mistake. But once you get out there and do it, you quickly learn how much fun it is. It’s inspirational to see Achilles athletes work toward their goals, with their disability being no barrier to success. I really enjoy my weekly runs with Paul, who is fully blind, and we always have a great catch-up as we go along. It’s a really friendly and welcoming community, there’s always someone to go out for coffee with after a training session.”  

Lorna, who is currently on a 2-year hiatus between her fifth and sixth year of medical school, is using the time away from lectures to work on a research project towards her PhD. As a MAS Here for Good Individual Scholarship recipient, the 24-year-old will be putting the grant towards expenses for her next career milestone – a trip to Boston, US, to present her research at the American Medical Informatics Association Conference.

“I couldn’t believe I had won a MAS scholarship, that was a very welcome but unexpected phone call! I’m so excited to be taking part in this conference, as it’s a rare opportunity,” she says. “For my research, I analysed large data sets to look at why medicine is prescribed. Research is a huge interest of mine, and after study, I would love to build a career that combines both the research and clinical sides of medicine.”

Lorna aims to complete medical school next year and her PhD the following year, and despite how busy it gets, she wants to continue her training sessions with Achilles.

“It’s the perfect way to combine exercise with helping others and meeting new people. It’s the highlight of my week.”