Being part of the Women’s Charter @ Amazon, Crystal initiated the Amazon for Beautiful People: Passion with Purpose campaign. Alongside this collaboration, she is also part of the 2022-23 Strategic Committee, heading the programme and curriculum sub-committee.
Crystal’s journey with Beautiful People started when the pandemic began. After her graduation in 2020, she wanted to look for a long-term volunteering commitment where she could meaningfully spend her time in a cause that resonated with her.
“The first step is always the most difficult, but the moment you kickstart those gears and just start your journey as a volunteer, things will start falling into place.”
Her volunteering journey first started at Pertapis Centre for Women and Girls and now she is a mentor with My Beautiful Life @Hatch (MBL@Hatch). Through sessions with the mentees, Crystal deepened her understanding about the issues that her mentees were experiencing and how much being a supportive listening ear means to her mentees.
A memory that left a strong imprint on Crystal were the E1 and E2 training sessions for mentors. It was unlike any other mentoring programme that she had joined. The emphasis was on building genuine connections and on building life-long relationships as the basis of providing social support for the mentees. She has learnt the invaluable lesson of asking the right questions, the differences between mentoring, coaching and befriending, and then putting these skills to the test at mentoring sessions.
The past two-and-a-half years with Beautiful People has taught Crystal the value of patience – that it takes time to form a true connection. As a mentor, Crystal feels this sense of responsibility as the mentees look up to their mentors and she does not want to break this trust. Through these experiences, she hopes to continue doing good simply by being present and improving the systems that propel more good.