Ivan Hu - Rainbow Youth Bursary Recipient
Ivan Hu - Rainbow Youth Bursary Recipient
Meet Ivan Hu
We’re excited to introduce Ivan Hu, this year’s recipient of the Rainbow Youth Leadership Bursary. This award recognizes young leaders for their outstanding efforts in promoting inclusivity and support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Here’s Ivan's journey and their impactful work towards making London and Middlesex County a more welcoming community.
Q: Congratulations on receiving the Rainbow Youth Bursary! What was your reaction to finding out the good news?
A: My friend Junsoo reached out to let me know. I was really excited and told all of my friends.
Q: Please tell us about some of the work you’ve done to make your community more inclusive and accepting of 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
A: In grade 11, I volunteered as a member of the TVDSB student advisory council. As a member, I connected with our school boards’ student trustees and community leaders. We discussed opportunities to create supportive places and emphasized the importance of mental health. My involvement with my school board led me to participate in our board’s youth advisory group on school resource officers. There, I discussed the impacts of welcoming London police officers into school communities. I advocated for the importance of keeping students in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community involved in the decision-making process.
Q: Is there something you’re working on or something that you’ve achieved in terms of your leadership and advocacy that you’re particularly proud of?
A: I was a peer supporter at my school. In my role, I worked to support vulnerable students including my peers in developmental education (DE) and grade 9. I am proud of the service I contributed to during this experience. The peer support program provides a positive impact on the day-do-day lives of DE students. Serving others and embracing the challenges of leadership was an incredibly fulfilling experience.
Q: If you could change one thing about London and Middlesex County to make it a more inclusive and accepting community, what would it be?
A: I’m really happy to see the work that’s been done over the past few years. In my experience, promoting connections between different groups of people leads to better understanding. London’s inclusive community events such as Pride and Sunfest are a great place to start. I wish that London had more events to showcase its diverse community, like in Toronto.
Q: What would your advice be to other young people who are thinking about getting involved in advocacy or leadership surrounding any issues that they’re passionate about?
A: Advocacy doesn’t have to be loud to be impactful. In my experience, leadership begins with yourself and those around you. At my school, our International Club promoted understanding by displaying posters in the school. It is a good example of finding actionable steps to approach big issues. Furthermore, being a compassionate friend and role model will provide you with the experience it takes to be an effective advocate.