Jin Hyuk Byun has a long-standing commitment to supporting students’ mental health. He did it when he connected students in myriad ways at the Student Wellness Centre – and he’s carrying that passion forward now as a medical student at McMaster.
As an undergraduate at Queen’s University, Byun was involved in several mental health initiatives. He spent years volunteering as a crisis line responder for a sexual assault centre, an adaptive exercise coach for persons living with disabilities/chronic illness, a mental health researcher, a developer of accessible mental health tracking technologies, and more. When he graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Health Sciences, he came to work at McMaster’s Student Wellness Centre as a Health Promoter.
“I wanted to use the lessons I learned during my schooling, research, and experiences to benefit my community in a broader way,” Byun said. “I loved the idea of creating change and supporting students directly, face to face.”
Supporting students in many, many ways
In his role as a Health Promoter, Byun was encouraged to take on the mental health portfolio. He describes the position as doing “anything and everything to support the mental health and well-being of students.”
Byun held the role for one and a half years. During that time, his work included volunteer training – he developed evidence-based mental health training modules for Community Advisors and Welcome Week Representatives, which continue to be used today – as well as delivering workshops on vulnerability, mindfulness, and other mental health-related topics for students.
Most of his workshops focused on mental health, educating students on mental health literacy, tackling mental health stigma, or teaching mindfulness techniques in accessible ways. “We often tell students to journal, meditate, or take deep breaths,” Byun said. “But without a supportive introduction, it can be hard for already struggling students to trust or integrate those practices.” One workshop, for example, aimed to create a safe space where students could learn together and feel comfortable using these techniques.”
Byun also oversaw a financial literacy and mental health workshop in collaboration with McMaster’s Money Centre. He coordinated the monthly International Grocery Store Trip program, which provided free transportation for international and exchange students to explore diverse grocers across Hamilton, celebrated diverse cultures by sharing foods, and increased food accessibility.
He also founded the Exam Wellness Café, which extended evening hours at the Student Wellness Centre’s study lounge during exam periods, brought in academic and writing coaches from the Student Success Centre, and offered free snacks and beverages to students.
Byun oversaw these initiatives alongside his team, who also organized community-building events such as paint nights and cooking classes: more opportunities for students to come together and form genuine connections.
Building connections
Byun also developed several new programs at the Student Wellness Centre. One initiative, called Make A Friend, was created to address ongoing loneliness and social isolation on campus.
“Even years after COVID, we continue to see the lingering effects of social isolation,” Byun said.
The Make A Friend program was a way to “make friendships easier to come by,” he says. After students filled out thorough forms, the SWC team would match them with fellow participants based on shared interests, and create events to facilitate bonding experiences – like paint nights.
They had over 200 people sign up in the first year. Even better, the SWC team would often see people talking about scheduling hangouts outside of the program, “which was amazing to see,” Byun said. “We saw friendships forming right in front of us.”
A new chapter
In 2025, Byun received offers from multiple medical schools across Ontario – no small feat in a highly competitive admissions field. Out of those schools, he has “many, many reasons” why he chose Mac.
He grew up in Hamilton, and years before he stepped into the SWC, he was already familiar with McMaster from summer camps and volunteer work. Most importantly, Byun describes proximity to family as a key factor, particularly the ability to remain close and support his mother’s health.
Another key factor was that, having worked behind the scenes in student affairs, he “knew how passionate McMaster staff were about supporting their students.”
Byun with some of his medical school classmates.
“It was very apparent to me, whether it was SWC or any other department that I interacted with, [that] people care about the work they do here,” he said. “That reassured me to come back as a student to know that the support would be there for me.”
“Medical school isn’t easy,” he added. “The only way to do it well is to have a strong support system around you.”
Byun is excited to continue his journey of becoming a physician, and in particular to start meeting – and helping – real patients in less than a year’s time. “It’s a great privilege,” he said, “and something I don’t take lightly.”
In the meantime, he is focused on continuing to develop the skills that make a great physician, including the ability to show patients genuine care and empathy.
Byun (centre) with the LeMed James intramural basketball team.
He remains engaged both inside and outside of the classroom, and also spends time each week playing instruments, cooking, and hiking. “I think it’s incredibly important for students to make time for self-care,” he said. His medical school cohort has formed a number of intramural teams that he plays with, including a basketball team called LeMed James and a soccer team called Real Medrid.
“We’re not just hunkering down studying all day and every day,” Byun said. “We’re really connecting with people, and hopefully we can bring [that to] the ability to connect to our patients in the future as well.”