Class of 2022 CAS Final Reflection and Celebration

Michelle's CAS Journey

CAS Completes My DP Experience

Most of my CAS experience are extra curriculum things that I've been doing for years. For example: sports like swimming and volleyball, volunteer experiences like the KSS service club and Carnegie Training. Therefore, it was not difficult for me to finish the CAS project despite the huge loads of work in DP. However, I do think reflecting on and recording my experiences was annoying and difficult. It is only until now, when I think about the roles of CAS in my whole IB experience, that I realized the CAS project completes my DP experience. Since CAS allowed me to learn things beyond the classroom and completes the non-academic part of IB. For example, teamwork, commitment, and leadership. Through CAS I've also learned about my shortcomings and things I will have to improve on, such as my leadership skills and time management. I will take you through my CAS journey now by going through the 7 learning outcomes of CAS.

1. Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

I think this is one of the learning outcomes that I've achieved the most. Since I proposed experiences according to my own strength and interest, especially in the Service and Action category. For example, I love swimming and I've been swimming for almost 10 years now. I joined the school's swimming team in 8th grade to develop my interest into mature skills. After joining the team and participating in practices and competitions, I was able to improve my 50m freestyle to 39 seconds. However, this is way too slow for competitive swimming and I've stopped improving after the first 2 years. I realized swimming might not be my strength, but it is still good to have a habit of excercising.

KSS Swimming Team at Taichung TISSA

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

I think the most challenging CAS experience is volunteering in the Service A club. First, we faced the challenge of the pandemic forcing us to give up on our original plan to serve in Thailand. However, this gave us the opportunity to serve communities that are closer to us. I utilized the skills that I acquired in previous experience serving in Thailand to adapt to the new change. For example, I used my experience in planning for a class to lead the online English teaching team. I've also met challenges leading a team. I think it is because I'm a little bit shy, so my influence on the team is not as effective. However, through these challenges, I think I've become more organized and I have also gained more experience in leading a team.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

I think for this learning outcome I've only achieved to some extent. Since I use many things that I've already been doing for years as most of my CAS experiences, so the investigation and the preparation stage weren't really necessary. I didn't put in the reflections right after each of my experiences because I thought other works are more important. However, I think I did well on showing a responsible attitude as I planned on early how I should finish my CAS project. (My first CAS experience started in the summer before G11).

Me Playing with KSS Volleyball Team

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

I think this learning outcome is one of the learning outcomes that I achieved to a large extent. For all of my activities, I was able to complete them and engage with them with my whole heart. I've been doing many of my CAS activities for years, such as swimming (10 years), Carnegie Training volunteer (4 years), KSS service club (2 years), and KSS volleyball (2 years).

I'm also very committed to my short-term CAS activities. I came to almost every session of the Seussical Junior musical backdrop painting project. The sessions were not forced upon us and we can come when we are free, so it required a lot of self-discipline and scenes of responsibility to come to every session.

Painting Backdrops for Seussical Junior Musical

Carnegie Training Class YUD0803

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

I have achieved this learning outcome to a great extent. There were many opportunities for collaboration in my CAS activities. In Carnegie Training, there was a group of volunteers that I need to work with in order to make the classes go smoothly. Therefore, our teacher asked us to give a compliment to every volunteer at the end of the day, in order to build confidence and relationship between the volunteers. I learned that it is important for a team to know each other in order to have a good collaboration.

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

My experiences in the KSS service team helped me achieve this learning outcome to a great extent. Since the club itself is dedicated to addressing global issues in an international context, specifically using teaching to address the issue of lack of education in childern. However, the pandemic has caused the world to change and we had to stop our original plan and serve in our local community. We continue to use teaching to address the issue of lack of education. I was in charge of online English teaching at a local school. We also engaged in the Kuei Shan winter school 2020 where we learn how to be better teachers and help with learning events such as kindergarten English storytelling, elementary sports events, and farm teaching.

KSS Winter School 2020 Farm Teaching

7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

This learning outcome I only achieved to some extent. This is because my CAS experiences don't have ethical concerns. However, there is one thing that problemed me in my experiences in the KSS service team. As I've mentioned, we couldn't serve at the Thailand church that we normally go to in-person because of the pandemic. We did stay in contact with them through LINE and serve them financially. However, it still bothers me that we couldn't continue our work and keep our promise, because in-person service is the one that build relationships between people.

What advice do you have for upcoming CAS students regarding making CAS enjoyable, sustained over time and meaningful?

I would suggest the upcoming CAS students open up their minds and join all kinds of activities before DP, even they are only a little bit interested in the activity. This way they can explore while they build a foundation of CAS. Join activities will help them to build a life outside school and closer relationships inside the school, and they don't have to worry about completing CAS when it comes!

Five years from now, what will you remember most about your CAS programme?

Five years from now, I think I will remember the KSS service club the most. Since I had many challenges while working as one of the leaders in the club. These challenges were painful but I think I've grown from them and even if I haven't, I now know my shortcomings and will improve in the future.

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