6th June 2023
For Volunteer Week 2023, we are celebrating STAR volunteers and their contributions. There are thousands of students dedicating their time to make the UK a more welcoming place for refugees and people seeking asylum. In this blog, Jiayi, who is Campaigns Officer for the KCL STAR group, talks to us about her experience at STAR and her involvement in setting up a panel event on the topic of detention centres in the UK.Â
You can find out more about the panel event on STAR KCL’s Instagram page.
What is your experience of working with STAR?
Volunteering with STAR has been nothing but meaningful – from when I first volunteered at the beginning of 2022 with their University Mentoring Programme to the recently held conference event on the topic of immigrant detention in collaboration with other London universities. Drawing upon my own experiences to guide others where I can in the process of university and scholarship applications, for instance, was eye-opening in foregrounding the disadvantages stacked against individuals who, much like you and me, aspire towards higher education or self-development. The conference was also an amazing opportunity to work with fellow students, from reaching out to insightful speakers to setting up the event venue. It was encouraging to see students from universities across London gather to learn more about the practices that constitute immigrant detention and their consequences, and I was even more heartened when many stayed behind after the panel to talk to the speakers personally. It was also great to receive feedback that the panel was well-rounded and complementary, and that participants left with a deeper understanding of immigrant detention.
Why did you want to get involved in creating change?
Why not? I believe it’s important to use my privilege to help those who may not have the same advantages. It’s unfair, and frustrating, that some people are forced to leave their homes and seek asylum elsewhere, so if I can make a difference in any small way, I’m happy to do so. I particularly enjoyed volunteering as a mentor: it’s been a fulfilling experience for me because it’s personal. I get to know the mentees, who are in the process of applying for scholarships or courses, just like I did a few years ago. This common ground between us, with such different stories, is one of many examples where change can be worked towards in small steps and through human connection, and further encouraged me to do what I can.
How do you think you have made a difference, no matter how big or small?Â
Be it speaking with refugees and people seeking asylum applying to higher education, organising a conference to engage peers, or simply meeting other STAR members at social events, I hope these have been avenues where meaningful interactions have been created. Differences don’t have to be big – if I have just been a friend, that may just be enough. I can only hope the connections made through university mentoring might help mentees on their journey in considering what courses to apply to, or what to include in their personal statement; similarly, I hope that the team’s efforts in hosting the London conference helped raise much-needed experience on the pressing issue of detention.
Why should other people get involved in STAR, or in campaigning/volunteering in general?
Again, why not? There are many ways to get involved, whether you prefer to interact personally, or to contribute behind the scenes. It’s a great way to better understand the depth of the refugee and asylum-seeking community, past media portrayals and over-simplistic blanket descriptions. On a wider scale, volunteering is empathy and connection; it is seeing someone, however different from ourselves, and showing, in however different ways, that I care for you and I want you to do well. If this is within your capacity, I think it is a wonderful and very worthwhile thing to do. 🙂
If you’re a member of a STAR group, get in touch with our Campaigns Manager Siobhán for advice about planning campaign actions.
If you’re interested in joining or setting up a STAR group, get in touch with our Student Network Organiser Lois.