Meet Grace Strik: CLAN Youth Advisor, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary for CLAN's Risk and Audit Subcommittee
Interview taken 20th March, 2023
Tell me a bit about yourself.
My name is Grace Strik and I’m currently a third-year student at the University of Technology Sydney studying a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting, and Diploma of Languages majoring in Japanese. Outside of this, I’m a Legal Clerk at a boutique commercial litigation law firm in Sydney, and an Academic Tutor for primary and secondary school students. I spend a lot of my time studying, and engaging in extra-curriculars, mostly focused on my law studies. When I’m not working, studying, or volunteering, you can generally find me playing soccer, reading, or spending time with family and friends.
What motivates you to work hard?
Understanding the privilege I have, in that I have many opportunities to work hard and achieve the goals I set for myself, with minimal barriers. Because of this, I feel a responsibility to work hard, and to help others to break down barriers that limit their opportunities. I’m also motivated by the nature of the work I’m doing – I enjoy what I do, and most of my study and work is rooted in justice, so this innately motivates me to continue to work hard.
How and when did you start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I started working with CLAN in about June 2021, when I was a first-year university student. During the COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, I had lots of free time on my hands. Cath Cole had asked me to help out with assessing ACFID requirements and potential improvements to CLANs corresponding measures. In doing so, I was able to learn a lot more about CLANs work and projects, and was drawn into the community development approach, and person-centred nature of CLANs work. I reached out to Kate and Cath and they were happy to have me on board, and my role has continued to develop ever since.
What is your role within CLAN?
I’m a Youth Advisor for Governance Support and Assistant Treasurer for CLAN. I also am the Secretary for CLANs Risk & Audit Subcommittee. I find myself coordinating the Youth Advisor team, and undertaking a range of tasks, mostly on an ad hoc basis. I find this super interesting as the work is always diverse.
What was the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN so far?
It can’t be limited to a single moment. When I reflect on what is most inspiring about working with CLAN, it’s the people. It’s always moving to have people together working towards a common goal, connected by the desire to help others. I especially see this in the support network of women working with CLAN. One of the first perspective-changing moments in my work with CLAN was the Commission on the Status of Women 66th Session Parallel Event, focused on the nexus between climate change, NCDs and indigeneity. Here, I was lucky enough to be able to conduct concluding remarks, and reflect on the knowledge shared by our amazing indigenous speakers, Kaitlyn Hunsberger, Daisy Purdy, and Patricia Gualinga. Following this, one of the most inspiring moments was working closely with the CLAN and Child and Youth Care Zimbabwe (CYC) teams towards CAH Awareness Month 2022 and the Inaugural CAH Club Meeting in Zimbabwe. Being able to see CLANs work, and be inspired by incredible women such as Trudy Nyakambangwe, really moved me, and I was able to understand the tangible outcomes of CLAN and CYCs work. Recently, I had the honour of being on the ground at New York with fellow Youth Advisor Sienna Gates and United Nations Youth Representatives Nicole Pasterczyk and Sofia Rousseau from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Just being able to travel and be surrounding by these girls reminded me of how much CLAN believes in and supports the next generation of youth and change-makers. I was moved by every event we attended, but particularly the Observance of International Women’s Day at the United Nations General Assembling, surrounded by a packed-out room of people who all were united in their fight for gender equity. It reminded me of the movements taking place globally in the fight against injustices. But at the end of the day, to answer the question, every time I do work for CLAN, I am inspired by the people, the projects and the outcomes. And I am always motivated to continue my work with CLAN by the children we are advocating for.
What are some projects you’re currently working on, and what can we expect to see in the future?
Currently, the Youth Advisor team, including myself, are involved in a range of projects. On a governance support level, I am preparing for a policy review following anticipated ACFID requirement changes later this year, and developing a document management system and associated policy to centralise CLANs work digitally. On a community outreach level, we are currently expanding CLANs team to broaden our social media platforms and ensure consistent output, as well as developing reports and outreach initiatives in relation to past events, and upcoming events (look out for events related to CAH Awareness Month and International Neonatal Screening Day 2023!). Other than this, we are lucky enough to be involved in a broad range of CLANs initiatives, including the @MATES4Kids movement, DMD Webinar Series, interviewing of CLANs past and current members, Rights Flyer development, and educational materials. You can expect to see lots of things to come from CLAN, and the Youth Advisor team will be supporting along the way.
What is some advice you’d provide to others who want to get involved?
One of the most common sentiments among people who want to get involved is that they don’t think they have the skill or experience be involved in CLAN. So, my primary piece of advice is believe in yourself, because CLANs team already does. CLANs team sees the value and potential of everyone who is involved, and once you get started, you will never feel like you aren’t making valuable contributions to CLANs work – the team reminds you every day of the impact your work makes!
How has working with CLAN, or seeing CLANs work, shaped your worldview?
On a broader scale, I am reminded of the privileges that we take for granted every day in wealthier countries. I am saddened by the inequity of healthcare, but my worldview has shifted to working with others who also share for a passion for relieving this inequity. CLANs work always reminds me of what I am working towards, and that is advocacy in some form or another.
What are your goals in the future?
My personal goals are in the short term to get through university! Following this, I will work towards being a barrister. At some stage, I would love to be involved in post-graduate studies. A large goal of mine that coincides with my work with CLAN is to continue to advocate for those in need on a global scale. Specific to CLAN, my goal is amplify the voices of children in resource poor-settings living with NCDs. I would love to be involved in creating a platform for individuals who understand the experiences of children in resource-poor settings living with NCDs to advocate for themselves and speak out against these injustices. Ultimately, I want them to be able to be heard.
Interview taken 20th March, 2023
Tell me a bit about yourself.
My name is Grace Strik and I’m currently a third-year student at the University of Technology Sydney studying a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting, and Diploma of Languages majoring in Japanese. Outside of this, I’m a Legal Clerk at a boutique commercial litigation law firm in Sydney, and an Academic Tutor for primary and secondary school students. I spend a lot of my time studying, and engaging in extra-curriculars, mostly focused on my law studies. When I’m not working, studying, or volunteering, you can generally find me playing soccer, reading, or spending time with family and friends.
What motivates you to work hard?
Understanding the privilege I have, in that I have many opportunities to work hard and achieve the goals I set for myself, with minimal barriers. Because of this, I feel a responsibility to work hard, and to help others to break down barriers that limit their opportunities. I’m also motivated by the nature of the work I’m doing – I enjoy what I do, and most of my study and work is rooted in justice, so this innately motivates me to continue to work hard.
How and when did you start working with CLAN, and what motivated you to do so?
I started working with CLAN in about June 2021, when I was a first-year university student. During the COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, I had lots of free time on my hands. Cath Cole had asked me to help out with assessing ACFID requirements and potential improvements to CLANs corresponding measures. In doing so, I was able to learn a lot more about CLANs work and projects, and was drawn into the community development approach, and person-centred nature of CLANs work. I reached out to Kate and Cath and they were happy to have me on board, and my role has continued to develop ever since.
What is your role within CLAN?
I’m a Youth Advisor for Governance Support and Assistant Treasurer for CLAN. I also am the Secretary for CLANs Risk & Audit Subcommittee. I find myself coordinating the Youth Advisor team, and undertaking a range of tasks, mostly on an ad hoc basis. I find this super interesting as the work is always diverse.
What was the most inspiring moment within your work with CLAN so far?
It can’t be limited to a single moment. When I reflect on what is most inspiring about working with CLAN, it’s the people. It’s always moving to have people together working towards a common goal, connected by the desire to help others. I especially see this in the support network of women working with CLAN. One of the first perspective-changing moments in my work with CLAN was the Commission on the Status of Women 66th Session Parallel Event, focused on the nexus between climate change, NCDs and indigeneity. Here, I was lucky enough to be able to conduct concluding remarks, and reflect on the knowledge shared by our amazing indigenous speakers, Kaitlyn Hunsberger, Daisy Purdy, and Patricia Gualinga. Following this, one of the most inspiring moments was working closely with the CLAN and Child and Youth Care Zimbabwe (CYC) teams towards CAH Awareness Month 2022 and the Inaugural CAH Club Meeting in Zimbabwe. Being able to see CLANs work, and be inspired by incredible women such as Trudy Nyakambangwe, really moved me, and I was able to understand the tangible outcomes of CLAN and CYCs work. Recently, I had the honour of being on the ground at New York with fellow Youth Advisor Sienna Gates and United Nations Youth Representatives Nicole Pasterczyk and Sofia Rousseau from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Just being able to travel and be surrounding by these girls reminded me of how much CLAN believes in and supports the next generation of youth and change-makers. I was moved by every event we attended, but particularly the Observance of International Women’s Day at the United Nations General Assembling, surrounded by a packed-out room of people who all were united in their fight for gender equity. It reminded me of the movements taking place globally in the fight against injustices. But at the end of the day, to answer the question, every time I do work for CLAN, I am inspired by the people, the projects and the outcomes. And I am always motivated to continue my work with CLAN by the children we are advocating for.
What are some projects you’re currently working on, and what can we expect to see in the future?
Currently, the Youth Advisor team, including myself, are involved in a range of projects. On a governance support level, I am preparing for a policy review following anticipated ACFID requirement changes later this year, and developing a document management system and associated policy to centralise CLANs work digitally. On a community outreach level, we are currently expanding CLANs team to broaden our social media platforms and ensure consistent output, as well as developing reports and outreach initiatives in relation to past events, and upcoming events (look out for events related to CAH Awareness Month and International Neonatal Screening Day 2023!). Other than this, we are lucky enough to be involved in a broad range of CLANs initiatives, including the @MATES4Kids movement, DMD Webinar Series, interviewing of CLANs past and current members, Rights Flyer development, and educational materials. You can expect to see lots of things to come from CLAN, and the Youth Advisor team will be supporting along the way.
What is some advice you’d provide to others who want to get involved?
One of the most common sentiments among people who want to get involved is that they don’t think they have the skill or experience be involved in CLAN. So, my primary piece of advice is believe in yourself, because CLANs team already does. CLANs team sees the value and potential of everyone who is involved, and once you get started, you will never feel like you aren’t making valuable contributions to CLANs work – the team reminds you every day of the impact your work makes!
How has working with CLAN, or seeing CLANs work, shaped your worldview?
On a broader scale, I am reminded of the privileges that we take for granted every day in wealthier countries. I am saddened by the inequity of healthcare, but my worldview has shifted to working with others who also share for a passion for relieving this inequity. CLANs work always reminds me of what I am working towards, and that is advocacy in some form or another.
What are your goals in the future?
My personal goals are in the short term to get through university! Following this, I will work towards being a barrister. At some stage, I would love to be involved in post-graduate studies. A large goal of mine that coincides with my work with CLAN is to continue to advocate for those in need on a global scale. Specific to CLAN, my goal is amplify the voices of children in resource poor-settings living with NCDs. I would love to be involved in creating a platform for individuals who understand the experiences of children in resource-poor settings living with NCDs to advocate for themselves and speak out against these injustices. Ultimately, I want them to be able to be heard.
