A group of passionate IMU Master of Counselling students recently organised “Uncover the Unseen: Advocating for  Marginalised Communities”, an impactful one-day advocacy event aimed at raising awareness and promoting social inclusion for often-overlooked populations. Held on 20 May 2025 at the IMU Atrium, the exhibition drew participants from across the university community and beyond, fostering dialogue, empathy, and understanding towards marginalised communities.

The initiative provided students with an opportunity to translate classroom learning into action— bridging theory with lived experience to strengthen the role of counsellors as advocates for change within society.

Over the course of the day, visitors engaged with a range of interactive exhibits, storytelling sessions, and educational materials that brought visibility to seven marginalised communities: returning citizens (discharged prisoners), stroke survivors and their caregivers, neurodivergent students and educators, the Deaf community, refugee children, patients with life-limiting illness, and children in foster homes.

“This exhibition is a testament to how counsellors can go beyond the counselling room to advocate for voices that are so often unheard,” said Ms. Loo Si June, a faculty advisor involved in the project. “It was a deeply moving experience that showed the heart of what it means to be in the helping profession.”

The exhibition also welcomed students from IMU’s health sciences programmes, offering a valuable opportunity for interdisciplinary learning. The visitors appreciated encountering real-life narratives of stroke survivors and caregivers beyond textbook knowledge.

Engaging with these personal stories helped them connect theory to lived experience, deepening their understanding of holistic care and the psychosocial dimensions of health.

More than just an academic exercise, Uncover the Unseen served as a platform for students to develop critical soft skills—collaboration, communication, and leadership.

“Throughout the entire planning of the event until the day of the event, I realise that it is important to see things from other people’s perspectives and our belief in other people’s ability to grow ,” shared one of the student organisers, Fiona Terasa binti Jeffrey.

Faculty members also observed how students grew in confidence and professional identity through the process of engaging with sensitive issues and presenting them in a respectful, empowering manner.

“I am moved to see the excitement of students, when they shared what they have learned from the communities,” mentioned Dr Teoh Gaik Kin, Associate Dean of the School of Psychology and Social Sciences (SOPSS).

“I wholeheartedly wish the learning will not end when the assignment is due, and students will continue to bubble and foster into continuous advocacy for the communities in need.”

As the event concluded, students and exhibition visitors left not only more informed, but also inspired.

One student, Priscilla Lew Yuin Shean, reflected that visiting and interviewing returning citizens was an eye-opening experience that challenged her assumptions and deepened her empathy for marginalised communities.

“I went home and told my family about the interviews we did with the returning citizens,” she said. “It really opened their eyes too. My mum was especially moved—she decided to offer job opportunities to them through a business she co-manages with a close associate.”

This ripple effect highlights how advocacy can begin with awareness and personal connection. Events like Uncover the Unseen reflect IMU’s commitment to holistic, socially responsible education—equipping future counsellors with both the heart and the skill to make a difference.