Want to make a positive impact on the world?

Do you want to make a big impact in the world? 

That’s what Samantha Heron did, founding a social enterprise after completing a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at UNSW. 

The founder of Heart & Soul Story, a social enterprise that brings together teenagers and older people to build connections and improve mental wellbeing, has always been interested in bringing about impact in her community.

According to Samantha, “social impact is about working to make a difference, to produce positive outcomes and enhance the overall quality of life for communities.” She shares how studying social impact has transformed her career, and what it was like to be a postgraduate student at UNSW. 

Samantha, what inspired you to study for a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact?

I wanted to make sure I wasn’t being a passive bystander in life. I’d read a book called The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children who Care and Contribute, and I remember being struck by a section on the Dalai Lama, who had asked the question:  “What is the greatest challenge of our time?” For him, it wasn’t weapons of mass destruction or terrorism, but “that we are raising a generation of passive bystanders”. 

As a mother of three, I’m acutely aware of the economic, social and environmental challenges facing not only our generation but the upcoming generation. I’ve made it a personal goal to do everything in my power to lead my children by example and show them how we can contribute to building a more civil and sustainable society. 

I’d worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit fields, and I was keen to delve deeper into learning how these sectors, alongside government, could work together more effectively to find solutions for wicked societal problems.

Where did studying social impact lead you?

Before studying towards my Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at UNSW, I had worked as a strategy planner, but my heart wasn’t in it, so I moved into consulting in the not-for-profit sector. A project consulting on end-of-life care with both Bupa and Opal led me into the aged care sector. I was volunteering there with my own children whilst I completed my Graduate Certificate. My last assignment for Leadership for Social Impact was to set up a social enterprise that developed empathy in our youth and connected our community.  

I graduated from UNSW with my Graduate Certificate in Social Impact in 2013, and in 2015 I started Heart & Soul Story (HSS), a social enterprise to facilitate empathy and connection across generations. We achieve this by sharing life stories through education and awareness seminars with aged care organisations and schools, and through structured programs, activities and initiatives. These programs contribute to increased emotional intelligence, resilience, connection and overall wellbeing within society. 

The Seniors and Teens Empathy Program (STEP), which reduces isolation for the elderly in care and builds empathy and confidence in teens, is our flagship programme and has been run in the care homes of Australia’s leading aged care organisations, with public and private high schools. 

During Covid, the program was adapted to run virtually, keeping isolated aged-care residents in touch with the community at a time when even their relatives were unable to visit. Heart & Soul Story, supported by Sutherland Shire Council, also ran an adapted program at the start of 2023 with people living with dementia at Hammond Aged Care Miranda and students from Sylvania High School. 

Something I learned during the Graduate Certificate was the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. This has been crucial to my work both implementing and educating others on how to set up intergenerational programs.

What other social impact do you hope to achieve in your career?

I think when it comes to social impact, we often get very caught up in large numbers and how to make programs scale, but scale doesn’t always tell the whole story. Whilst facilitating programs is the primary focus of HSS, equally important is increasing awareness, education and intention of  youth and senior organisations to embark on their own programs and initiatives. 

This ongoing effort for increased awareness and education is also an important part of the social impact ripple effect of the work I do. For example, I was invited to present intergenerational best practice seminars and workshops for the Agency for Clinical Innovation, Aged Care Health & Education, and Positive Schools Conferences. The program is also mentioned in the latest book of Australian psychologist, social researcher and writer Hugh Mackay AO, The Kindness Revolution and STEP has been nominated for an award at the upcoming Intergenerational Practice 2024 Industry awards. 

What advice would you give to students hoping to study a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at UNSW?

Be curious and open to the number of different opportunities it could offer. I’ve stayed in touch with a number of my 2013 alumni who have incredible, interesting and diverse roles that are making a difference in Australia.

Be prepared for the unexpected and be flexible enough to adapt – other than unwavering determination, I have found this to be probably the most important personal quality I have needed on my social enterprise journey over the past six years. 

Dump perfectionism. Out of necessity of needing to get things done, I have found I’ve had to let go of the tendency to try to get my ideas, words and work perfectly before putting them out to the world. Perfectionism is exhausting and unrelenting and it’s the enemy of social enterprise, so dump perfectionism at the door and be willing to ask for help way more along the way.

Stay focused on your purpose. Knowing your why will help you when the logistical challenges build up. Effortlessness is a myth. Most people face many challenges and stumbling blocks along their social impact career paths. Spend time thinking about your personal ‘why’ and keep coming back to it.

How was your experience at UNSW?

I found UNSW to be a dynamic and energising environment. My course had a great mix of students that spanned the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, which made for insightful and healthy debates and conversations. The lecturers were top-notch, bringing a wealth of experience from the fields in which they worked. Guest speakers were also an absolute highlight of the course.

The course content was everything I could have asked for and opened my eyes to a number of different concepts such as the importance of collaborative effort to solve social challenges, the need for multiple blends of funding, that not all companies are out there to maximise profits for shareholders at all costs and, finally, that more businesses are seeing the importance of social impact and sustainability.

Interested in studying sustainability and social impact?

Learn how UNSW’s Graduate Certificate in Social Impact, Graduate Diploma in Social Impact or MBAX (Social Impact) could accelerate your career and be the change you want to see in the world. All places within the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact are Commonwealth supported, which means that if you receive an offer from UNSW Sydney as a domestic student, you’ll have a substantial proportion of your fees subsidised by the Australian government.