Diversity

Speaking at the Citizenship ceremony for City of Holdfast Bay

January 28, 2024

Thank you to Mayor Amanda Wilson, for the incredible privilege to speak at the citizenship ceremony in Holdfast Bay welcoming 67 new Australian citizens from 26 countries. I spoke about embracing each person’s culture and celebrating our diversity. What made this event even more special was having Senator, The Honourable Penny Wong, in the audience. I was truly humbled to meet such an inspirational leader: the first Asian-born member of an Australian Cabinet, the first female openly-LGBTIQA+ Australian federal parliamentarian and federal government cabinet minister, and the first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. It was also wonderful to reconnect with Louise Miller-Frost MP, while congratulating the new citizens. It was heartwarming to see so much joy from the new Australian citizens from across the world –  the ceremony was a reminder of the strength and beauty that comes from celebrating the diversity in this country I am so grateful to call my home

#CitizenshipCeremony #CelebratingDiversity #AustraliaIsHome #Publicspeaking 

Force Forty 2023

November 11, 2023

Reflecting with gratitude over the past week to be one 1 of 40 people selected to be part of #ForceForty – an initiative by the Government of South Australia to invite young leaders to collaborate and contribute to supporting South Australia in becoming a launchpad for ideas, innovation and influence in our nation.

Thank you to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet team, Alison Lloydd-Wright, Kayla Johnson, Meneka Mendis, Tori Trebilco, Gemma Smyth, for curating this event and bringing us together. While we all came from very diverse backgrounds, industries, work and life experiences, what we shared in common was a passion to make a difference in our industries and change them for the better. Innovation is a state of mind, and one that we all shared. Thank you to Premier Peter Malinauskas for listening to the ideas that came out of the two days, which were skillfully facilitated by the inspiring Dr Gemma Munro.

I’m looking forward to the tangible outcomes that come out of Force Forty, and I’d like to highlight some of the less tangible, yet powerful impacts I believe this initiative has: it demonstrates to people of all ages that we can all be a force for change and push the boundaries of what we believe is possible. It gives us all permission to be pioneers of positive disruption and inspire change in our workplaces, and in our state

#forceforty #leadershipadvocacy #innovation

The right to smile

December 18, 2022

David Washington and I first started our conversations about inclusion and oral healthcare in a Q&A with over 700 people at the Australian of the Year Luncheon. Last week, we continued the conversation in studio, with a deep dive into oral health inequities, my views on disability as a social construct as opposed to a medicalised model, solutions I have been advocating for throughout this year with reflections on its impact, and a sneak preview into initiatives I will be working on in future.

Thank you David for the opportunity for these important messages to reach more listeners through the @indaily podcast: https://omny.fm/shows/notes-on-adelaide/the-right-to-smile

#specialneedsdentistry #oralhealthadvocacy #inclusionadvocacy #ausoftheyear

Tour of honour – upper spencer gulf

November 17, 2022

It was such a privilege to be a part of the Upper Spencer Gulf Tour of Honour. Thank you to Australia Day in South Australia and the sponsors who created the opportunity to bring oral healthcare advocacy and inclusion advocacy to hundreds of leaders, students and community members across Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Pirie. A special thank you to Justin Commons, CEO of the Whyalla City Council for the invitation to be a part of the Leadership Forum. The passion and dedication of the leaders with the common purpose of fostering belonging for young people in the community led to profound conversations, insights and ways to build upon community inclusion. It was an incredible demonstration of the magic that happens when people are brought together with a shared mission. It is a memory that will stay with me, and one I will use to fuel my passion to continue creating positive change into the future

#oralhealthadvocacy#tourofhonour#ausoftheyear#publicspeaking

Understanding autism

April 2, 2022

I have cared for many people with autism as a Specialist in Special needs dentistry and my youngest brother, Arron, has autism. What I have learnt from these experiences is that while autism is a developmental condition that affects how a person learns and interacts with the world around them, it affects each individual differently and each person has unique needs – just like every other human on the planet. This diversity is a beautiful thing – this is why I believe every person’s experience, voice and contribution matters, because it is unique to what any other person can bring.

One of the best things you can do to understand autism, is to listen with the intent of learning more about what autism means to that particular person, without any preconceived ideas of what their experience of autism is like. Focus on their strengths and passions to help them foster their best selves. Today on World Autism Awareness day, I encourage us all to take it further than just being “aware” of autism, to understanding autism, and becoming more accepting of it. Through understanding others, we can grow into a more inclusive and neurodiverse society.

Arron used to find it very distressing to go to public places with bright lights due to light sensitivities from his autism. Now he wears sunnies whereever he goes and loves it! I’m so happy that Arron can now enjoy going shopping with us and pose for photos with astronauts! The next time you see someone wearing sunnies indoors, instead of looking at them strangely, give them a smile instead!

#WorldAutismUnderstandingDay2022 #LifeOnTheAutismSpectrum

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