growing up

In my past secondary school, I was definitely the type of person you would not notice at first glance. I was normal, but lacked the unique colours and the essence of having my own personality. I did not mind living like a background character, peacefully doing my own thing and remaining uninterested in other people.

However, as I moved up to Junior College, where I am currently studying in Anderson Serangoon Junior College (ASRJC), I realised that I could be so much more than just a background character. Why did I have to be scared of or feel inferior to people? I wanted to change the way I view people, the way I live in the shadows, and the way I live.

That is why I decided to first start in my actions, taking more initiative towards talking to people and signing up for more events, stepping out of my comfort zone. So far, I have been a dancer in SG60’s National Day Parade (NDP) and am now currently working with other College Ambassadors (CAs) to host the orientation for our juniors.

To me, NDP was new and exciting, teaching me that I could get along with different types of people. It was scary at first, I was very close to just dropping out, but I pulled through, memorising 3 different versions of the dance until they finalised it. Meanwhile, being a CA means that I can learn how to work with a variety of different people, disagreeing, listening and then finding a consensus. It also means that I have the responsibility to set a good example, holding the image of our school in our hands.

I am grateful of all the people I have met in ASRJC, because each of them taught me something I never knew about myself. Through my friends, I learned so much about the way people perceive me, pointing out traits that would have never noticed in myself. As I am still on that journey, I am keen to learn more about myself and also become the best version of myself, taking in even more feedback and reflecting on how I can change.