SAMANTHAN CHUA Class 4D1( 2011)
SAILING AWAY FROM THE SAFE HARBOUR
An achieving student takes on the tough challenge of dual leadership roles.
My time in Clementi Town Secondary School had been relatively smooth-sailing. However the best illustration of a personal struggle would be the one that came with me taking on a double leadership position in Upper Secondary.
As the Company Leader of Girl Guides and Head of the now-defunct Board of Discipline Leaders( DL), I found myself pulled in three directions many times. It was a struggle to meet expectations, fulfill responsibilities and keep up with school work. There were definitely days I doubted my decisions and buckled under pressure. I remember the first two months of 2011 being extremely stressful for me. The start of a new school year meant grasping new concepts in class, piles of homework, as well as hectic planning for upcoming Girl Guides and DL meetings and events. It was not easy juggling between these commitments. Similarly in the week leading up to the DL Investiture in 2010, I could not have felt more uncertain about my choices. It took a while for me to accept the implications of holding a double leadership position and understand the expectations that were pegged to it. It was an emotional struggle, fearing that I would disappoint someone in the process.
Nevertheless, I managed to overcome my struggles with the help of different people along the way. I was lucky to have a supportive family, understanding teachers, competent Assistant Company Leaders and Vice-Heads and great friends who were all pillars of support for me. They believed in me and encouraged me to keep going.
I have once heard of the saying, to sail away from the safe harbor. I am now very thankful to have had the opportunity to challenge myself, though the double leadership position was overwhelming and definitely a struggle with its uncertain outcomes. It has proven to be a memorable and fulfilling experience of my secondary school days, and one that I would look back fondly upon.
Samanthan is a Community Service Award Winner in 2012. She is currently in Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
032 Our Time: Once A Clementeen, Always A Clementeen