The Road Spring 2020_online

SOPHIE’S SOCIAL IMPACT
SOPHIE BUSUTTIL
Damascus College Year 9 student Sophie Busuttil is striving to make
a difference in this time of extreme hardship, through the Western
Bulldogs Leadership program, where she builds skills in leadership,
teamwork, communication and resilience.
As a part of the program, Sophie was encouraged to create a social
impact project—a self-guided project that combines a passion with
helping to make a difference in the community. Sophie recognised
the impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health, and she decided
to aim her project at supporting the non-profit youth mental health
organisation, Headspace.
Sophie said that she wanted to combine her love of art and helping
others, so she decided on selling handmade, painted clay pins for
$12 on social media, donating $2 from every sale to Headspace.
I originally started making clay pins for fun. I
thought they were like cute little friends that you
could wear, and that they might bring a smile
to others’ faces, so I decided to try selling them
while donating to Headspace
The Western Bulldogs Leadership Program has helped Sophie build
her skills, such as those related to teamwork, communication and
resilience. It has also taught her a lot about empathy and why people
set goals and start organisations to help the community.
“These things really stood out to me, as I could see the process of
how someone went from wanting to help create a change, to putting
in the hard work to accomplish that,” she said.
Sophie’s favourite subjects at Damascus College are Visual
Communications and Art, as she aspires to work in the art industry as
a character designer or storyboard artist.
She also stated that “during times of isolation and remote learning,
some of the best things you can do to take care of your own mental
health are simple things that make you happy, like going outside,
doing some exercise and taking moments to breathe or meditate.”
“For me, I love to take time to draw, play my guitar, and talk with my
friends and family”, she said.
Damascus College continues to promote positive mental health and
well-being in remote learning, remaining committed to supporting our
students to be their best through providing access to staff, technology,
counselling and support services as needed.
Learn more here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDinFrhHgjI/
https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/foundation/programs/
leadership-project
“During these challenging times, looking after one’s mental health,
especially for young people, has become more important than ever.
I hope that this raises awareness for Headspace, as they do such
fantastic work to help support young people’s mental health every
day.”
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