Cheryl Kong’s Post

💡 Why Do We Have to Charge for a Talk? (It’s Not Just About Money) I recently received an invitation to give a talk on sexual health to university students—a topic close to my heart. However, the request came with the expectation that I would do it for free. This left me feeling frustrated and disappointed, not just for myself, but for our entire profession. 😔 **1. Valuing Expertise: We’ve invested years of hard work, passion, and emotional labor into developing our expertise. Offering it for free diminishes the value of what we do and sends the wrong message about the worth of our work. 💼 **2. Setting the Right Example: When educational institutions, which charge students for learning, expect us to give our time and knowledge without compensation, it sets a poor example. What are we teaching future counselors about the value of their own work? 🎓 **3. Sustainability of the Profession: Fair compensation is essential to keep our profession strong and sustainable. If we don’t advocate for the value of our work, we risk burnout and devaluing our field. 🌱 **4. Ethical Responsibility: We advocate for others’ well-being, but we must also advocate for ourselves. Our work is vital, and it deserves to be respected—not just in words, but in actions. ✊ Charging for our services isn’t just about money—it’s about professional integrity and ensuring that our work continues to be valued and respected. Let’s stand up for the worth of our profession, for ourselves, and for those who will follow in our footsteps. 💪

Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Week 2024 will run from Monday, 2 September to Friday, 6 September, across campuses in Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia. ✨ We will be hosting the flagship event—the EDI Week 2024: A Celebration for All—with colleagues from the Australia and Indonesia campuses joining us virtually. We'd love for you to be there! 🗓️: Thursday, 5 September 2024 🕐: 1pm –3pm 🏛️: Auditorium 2 (Building 6, Level 1) Register for the event here: https://shorturl.at/PoArZ Our EDI Week brings you a wide range of activities focusing on themes such as Indigenous communities, cultural diversity, inclusivity, well-being, and support for communities with unique needs. We look forward to your participation in making EDI Week 2024 a meaningful and impactful celebration! 🥳 #MonashMalaysia #EDI2024 #EDIWeek2024 #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion

Five months into my time in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team and it's time for campaign number two! ✨ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Week is coming up 2-7 September! ✨ EDI Week is an opportunity for our community to explore and celebrate our diversity, and understand how we can all contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and equitable society. This year, we're working with staff and students across our Australian, Malaysian and Indonesian campuses to bring together an exciting schedule of events. If you're Monash staff, student or alumni be sure to check out the 2024 schedule here: monash.edu/edi-week See you there!