Leadership Opportunities

My Leadership Opportunities!

Student Ambassador, 2019

My role as an ambassador was to guide parents and their school-ready children during the Open House and educate them more about my secondary school. As a Student Ambassador, I took the initiative to deepen my knowledge of the school’s history and key offerings beforehand so that I was well-prepared to do my role effectively. Moreover, I also had to adapt my approach based on the different concerns and interests of the parents and children. Lastly, I learnt to think on my feet and provide a clear and informative response whenever I was asked a question, be it about my school's academic program, CCAs or even school culture.

This experience left a significant mark on my development as a leader. It not only helped me step out of my comfort zone, but also boosted my confidence and effective communication skills.

Class Monitor, 2021

As a class monitor, I took on the responsibility of maintaining discipline, assisting and supporting my peers and teachers, and fostering a positive learning environment. Through this role, I developed my conflict resolution and negotiation skills specifically among peers, coordinated with different personalities, and developed into a more outspoken individual who takes initiative in organising class activities.

Section Leader, 2021 - 2022

Here, I was given the platform to guide my peers during sectionals, providing constructive feedback, to motivate my (percussion) section to develop and perform. This experience strengthened my ability to lead by example, offer encouragement, and adapt my approach based on the needs of my peers. I believe this opportunity helped me not only in my person growth, but also as a holistic leader.

Project Work Group Leader, 2023

Understanding the struggles of my own primary-school-going sibling and his peers, I designed my project to make dental services more accessible and less daunting for all primary school children. Deploying design thinking strategies with peers, I had to come up with innovative gamification strategies to build habits and boost understanding and awareness of difficult to grasp concepts like oral hygiene diseases. This way, the project experience also helped boost my attention to detail and enabled me to use my analytical thinking skills. I learnt that such analytical thinking and observation skills were essential to think of relevant problems and challenges the target audience might face and to thus come up with feasible solutions to combat them.

From a collaborative perspective, I understood the importance of adjusting and delegating tasks as per team dynamics. I stepped out of my comfort zone and took the initiative to start discussion and monitor the progress of the project ensuring all deliverables were met in time whilst ensuring team welfare.

My personal understanding of teamwork also grew and evolved in this journey. Working well in a team-based setting is quintessential to a thriving career. In a team-based setting, my peers and I were able to support each other and leverage on our collective strengths to deliver great results. We also gave one another constructive feedback, which significantly helped in refining the quality of our work. Beyond these, this project ultimately enabled me to develop my confidence further and improved my presentation skills as well.

Chrysalis, 2024

Chrysalis was a pivotal milestone in my leadership journey. Under this program, I underwent training sessions which focused in empowering others and putting their needs first to create a supportive and purpose-driven environment. These sessions equipped me with skills and the mindset to inspire and guide participants effectively.

I was also entrusted with the responsibility of being a facilitator, mentoring participants to cultivate various values like resilience, empathy, and teamwork. Through hands-on activities and reflective discussions, I was able to foster an environment that enabled them to develop confidence in their abilities and embrace their roles as servant leaders.

Having no prior experience being a facilitator, I was initially nervous about leading discussions and managing group dynamics. However, as I gained confidence and learnt of ways to engage the participants effectively , this new experience became incredibly rewarding despite its challenges.

Additionally, as I was appointed as the admin of the group, I upheld a strong sense of accountability, especially when it came to the safety of the participants. Therefore, I was responsible for keeping track of the participants' attendance at all times, especially since some of the participants were from different schools. Beyond personal growth, I also learnt that leadership is not just about holding authority but also about empowering others to their full potential.

This experience has shaped my approach to teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, which I continue to apply in various aspects of my life. Therefore, ChrySAlis has made a great impact in my holistic and personal growth.

SLEAD Activist, 2023

As a SLEAD activist, my role was to help organise volunteering opportunities for my peers and lead them through the programmes. One of the most important skills I learnt from this role was decision-making.

Having other academic commitments such as Project Work, lectures, and tutorials, this leadership experience broadened my perspective on balancing priorities effectively.

It also reinforced the importance of maximising productivity to benefit both the organisation and my peers.

Through this experience, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how to allocate my time wisely to ensure that I do not miss any of my deadlines. Therefore, by being proactive in planning and organising, I was able to maintain high performance in both areas.

By refining my time management skills and learning to delegate when necessary, I was able to contribute meaningfully while balancing multiple commitments.

Even if it involves planning meaningful activities, guiding my peers, or ensuring the smooth execution of events, I understood that leadership involves stepping forward, making decisions, and being proactive in creating positive changes.

One of the most memorable projects I organised with my fellow SLEAD activists was helping Primary School Children in 7 Oaks boost their confidence in public speaking. While the session itself was impactful, a significant amount of work happened behind the scenes.

My partner and I had to take the initiative to start discussions, plan lessons, and delegate tasks to my classmates. This experience required strategic foresight to anticipate potential challenges we could face, situational awareness to make real-time adjustments and diplomatic communications with our classmates to ensure their cooperation. Additionally, we also had to exercise resourcefulness to ensure the program ran smoothly without any unexpected problems.

This experience taught me that leadership is not always visible. Perhaps it is the quiet work done behind the scenes that makes a real difference. Seeing the fruit of the efforts and the children grow in confidence made all the struggle worthwhile.

Lastly, this experience also enabled me to reinforce my attention to detail and time management skills, especially when I had to organise and get my peers fully briefed by the deadline. This experience helped to develop my attention to detail as I had to make sure the interactive games I came up with were suitable for children. We also had to constantly monitor and review actions to ensure that everyone was comfortable and participative.

I believe this leadership opportunity played a significant role in making me a more holistic leader.

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