Saints advocate.
From 2023 to 2024, I was privileged to be a part of Saints Advocate. My time in this CCA was dedicated to actively championing the marginalised within the community and wholeheartedly engaging in our numerous outreach initiatives. Driven by a deep inclination to support the underrepresented and underprivileged, joining Saints Advocate was a natural choice, and my experiences within the CCA have profoundly shaped my leadership journey and my understanding of selfless service.
My involvement in Saints Advocate provided diverse avenues to advocate for marginalised groups in Singapore. I regularly volunteered with the elderly at Lion Befrienders, a community space in Bendemeer, where I contributed to weekly sessions by planning and participating in activities alongside fellow CCA members. These sessions included arts and crafts, chair zumba, various board games, and karaoke, all aimed at fostering engagement and reducing social isolation among the elderly. Furthermore, our CCA extended these efforts to Kwong Wai Shu Hospital, adjacent to our school, where we brought similar activities to hospitalised elderly individuals who often had limited social interaction beyond medical staff. Our outreach also extended to Anglican Care Center, where we participated in karaoke sessions and befriending activities with the rehabilitation program's participants to connect with them. Lastly, we also had frequent MYHomeShine sessions in which we would visit the homes of the elderly at HDB estates and aid in cleaning their spaces.
Beyond local engagement, Saints Advocate also offered the valuable opportunity of an Overseas Service Learning Programme (OSLP) trip to Bintan, Indonesia, an experience I elaborated on in the community service section of this portfolio. Closer to home, the CCA encouraged us to form subgroups to spearhead internal school initiatives. I took on the role of chairperson for subgroups responsible for planning both Friendship Week and Mental Health Week. In these roles, I led the facilitation and planning of numerous activities designed to foster bonding within the student body and provide avenues for stress relief and expressing gratitude towards one another. Furthermore, following our inculcation into the CCA during our first year at SAJC, I was part of the Mental Health Sub-Committee where I was appointed vice-chairperson.
For Mental Health Week 2024, my team conceptualised and executed initiatives such as gratitude stars origami, where students wrote encouraging messages and folded them into stars for their peers. We also organised expressive paint gun artworks and a collaborative fingerprint painting activity over a mural of SAJC's campus. For Friendship Week 2024, we managed a goodie bag ordering system, where students could purchase bags that we would assemble and deliver, and a song dedication booth where students could dedicate meaningful songs and lyrics to those that mean the most to them. Additionally, we had also organised a photo booth to encourage interaction and create memorable moments.
Through these varied experiences in Saints Advocate, I not only had the chance to act on my passion for serving others but also developed crucial leadership skills in planning, organising, and executing meaningful initiatives. The direct engagement with diverse communities and the responsibility of leading internal school events have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of impactful advocacy and the profound rewards of selfless service.
14th VO CCA Picture
My Canva Infographics
My Poster Made With IbisPaint
ChrySAlis 2024.
From April to May 2024, I was once again given the opportunity of serving as a Facilitator for ChryAlis 2024, SAJC's highly anticipated annual leadership summit. Collaborating with a multitude of dedicated Facilitators and EXCO members, we invested innumerable hours in rigorous training, preparation and planning so as to create a rewarding and enriching experience for our internal J1 student leaders as well as those from our affiliated secondary schools.
What differentiated ChrySAlis 2024 from ChrySAlis 2023 was the diverse selection of Facilitators from SAJC. For ChrySAlis 2023, Facilitators were drawn from various leadership CCAs such as Saints Advocate, Student Council and Saints for Christ. However, ChrySAlis 2024 opened its gates to the entire student body, allowing anyone with interest and capability to play a crucial role in executing the 3-day summit. I had to endure interview sessions and a selection process which had tested my critical capabilities as well as my inclination to lead, but that had only strengthened my desire to be part of ChrySAlis once again. This unique approach allowed me to truly connect and work with leaders of all kinds, experiencing a myriad of distinct and impactful leadership styles which enhanced my understanding of what it meant to be a servant leader.
The central theme of ChrySAlis revolves around being "The Light" for aspiring leaders, modelling the way for a brighter future of leaders with the boundless desire to serve and inspire. Furthermore, its remarkable philosophy of a Leadership Summit organised "By Student Leaders, For Student Leaders", drove us Facilitators to bring forth the specifically curated team-building activities, leadership conversations and workshops by the EXCO team to our participants hoping that it would provide them with the necessary skills to guide and support others.
Certainly, the arduous journey leading up to the actual 3-day summit had rendered me physically and mentally exhausted. However, reflecting on the month spent being illuminated by the EXCO's Facilitator Training Sessions and grueling away in seemingly ceaseless trial runs, it was undeniable that we had profoundly impacted the personal development of several youth leaders. During the summit itself, which took place from the 29th to 31st of May 2024, I had experienced an insurmountable amount of fulfillment at the sight of my group's growth from the first day not only as leaders but as strong-willed individuals as they bonded with their teammates and navigated the various trials and tribulations thrown their way. Not only were the participants able to learn from us as Facilitators, we were also able to affirm and absorb substantial skills imparted onto us from their own experiences.
Overall, my involvement in ChrySAlis 2024 as a Facilitator was a phenomenal leadership experience which allowed me to be privy to the diverse world of leadership styles and the impact dealt by a body of Student Leaders united together by a shared passion for making a difference. The memories made, knowledge accumulated and relationships fostered have surely left a lasting impact on my leadership journey and will continue to influence my attempts to make a positive change in the world.
2024 ChrySAlis Group 7
ChrySAlis 2023.
From April to May 2023, Saints Advocate had offered me the chance to serve SAJC as a Facilitator for ChryAlis 2023, an annual Student Leadership Summit. The Facilitators were procured from SAJC's leadership CCAs such as Student Council, Saints Advocate and Saints for Christ, resulting in the planning and execution committee being a culmination of Servant Leaders with an innate desire to foster the growth and development of our participants internally and from external secondary schools.
As a member of Saints Advocate, my participation was mandatory, yet it presented a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with the Student Council in SAJC to bring this significant event to fruition. Despite my prior experience leading an online leadership workshop in secondary school due to the pandemic, this in-person summit marked a significant milestone in my leadership journey.
During the summit itself, which took place in May 2023, I found immense satisfaction in witnessing the positive transformation within my group. It was truly heartwarming to observe participants from diverse backgrounds connect with their teammates and flourish as individuals and emerging leaders through the various activities and challenges we had designed.
Beyond guiding the participants, my involvement in ChryAlis 2023 allowed me to forge meaningful and lasting connections with both the student participants and my fellow Facilitators, relationships I continue to cherish today. It was a reciprocal learning experience; while we aimed to guide them, we also gained valuable insights and perspectives from their unique experiences.
Overall, my participation in ChryAlis 2023 as a Facilitator was a truly phenomenal leadership experience. It provided me with invaluable firsthand exposure to the dynamics of organising and leading a large-scale leadership event and underscored the profound impact that a united body of student leaders can have.
2023 ChrySAlis Group 7
saints support crew.
From January to March 2024, I pursued a position in "Saints Support Crew," a teacher-initiated project group envisioned by Ms. Melissa, a school counsellor, with the core aim of bolstering student welfare within SAJC. The selection process involved interviews where shortlisted students, including myself, had the opportunity to present prior artwork as evidence of their creative talents and articulate their passion for mental health advocacy and motivations for contributing to this school-wide initiative.
Upon the project's commencement, we were organised into subgroups to collaboratively produce artwork addressing various mental health challenges and general difficulties that the student body might encounter. During my involvement, my contributions included creating engaging check-in posts to foster a sense of community, curating uplifting quotes from J2 seniors for the incoming J1 cohort to encourage connection, and designing informative posters to encourage students facing difficulties to seek support. Additionally, I actively contributed to the design and management of the project's Instagram page, aiming to create an accessible and supportive online presence.
While the Saints Support Crew project was ultimately short-lived due to Ms. Melissa's departure to pursue further education overseas, the experience proved to be an invaluable opportunity for all involved. It provided a unique platform to directly contribute to the well-being of the student body, harness creative skills for a meaningful cause, and collaborate with like-minded individuals passionate about mental health. Despite its brevity, my time in the Saints Support Crew offered significant learning and a deeper appreciation for the importance of student-led initiatives in fostering a supportive school environment.
My Term One Illustration
My 2024 J1 Orientation Illustration
