After rising to the top of the Simon Fraser University and Canadian national rounds of Map the System, a team of SFU undergraduates – comprised of Health Sciences students Stephanie Lam, Janani Ravikularam, Katrina Jang, Hussein Elhagehassan and Benta Cheng – are at the Saïd Business School this weekend competing in the Map the System Global Finals!
An initiative of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford, Map the System (formerly The Oxford Global Challenge) encourages students to think differently about social, environmental, and economic challenges by mapping out the landscape of current problems and solutions while identifying missed opportunities for change.
Our SFU team, known as Bridging the Gap, conducted qualitative research looking into mental health outcomes in second generation Canadian youth, ages 14-24. Specifically, they explore the ways how processes of individual and familial acculturation impact mental health, such as the coping strategies youth use in times of stress.
Team member Benta Cheng provides some background on why the topic is close to the team’s hearts:
“Our team was inspired by our own lived experiences. As we actively researched this topic, we saw ourselves in the problem landscape. Based on the discussions we shared with our peers, we were curious to see whether other second generation Canadian youth outside of our networks shared similar sentiments and struggles. The answer was overwhelmingly “yes”. It was a reminder of just how complex this issue is.”
At the Map the System Global Finals, taking place June 1st – 3rd, the Bridging the Gap team will compete with 14 other finalists from around the world and present their research to a panel of esteemed judges.
The RADIUS community wishes Stephanie, Janani, Katrina, Hussein and Benta the best of luck at the Global Finals this weekend! We look forward to following their remarkable achievements as they continue with their academic and professional journeys.
Pictured left to right: Katrina Jang, Janani Ravikularam, Benta Cheng, Stephanie Lam, and Hussein Elhagehassan.
Photo courtesy of Isabelle Soares.