16 LUMEN | AL U MNI
Burning Passion
By Anna Nielsen
Hailing from the Class of 1999 , Major Huang Weikang was actively involved in National Cadet Corps ( Air ) as its first sergeant who took a group of peers and juniors under his charge . On hindsight , the regimented training and the life lessons gained from his alma mater must have prepared him for his career as a Major in the Singapore Civil Defence Force ( SCDF ) and Commander of Tuas View Fire Station .
Imagine stepping into your workplace not to be greeted by the familiar sight of a desk but a room engulfed in flames . Time is precious and you cannot afford to hesitate , every minute delayed is less time spent rescuing those who are trapped and suffering . The heroes that dive into such situations and risk their own lives are firefighters . To be a firefighter means that one has to be brave , compassionate and cooperative . Major Huang Weikang is one such firefighter . However , his journey to becoming a firefighter was not easy .
As a student in St Joseph ’ s institution , Maj Huang struggled with his academics . In order to keep up with his schoolmates , he had to go for additional remedial lessons before and after school . Despite this , trying to manage all nine subjects proved to be too strenuous , leaving him no choice but to drop one . It was a humiliating and arduous experience for him . However , it was during this stressful period that someone advised him to do the little things right , lest he
would never be able to accomplish the big things . With this in mind , he was able to pick himself up and change his approach towards his academics . Despite not being Catholic , he made it customary to say a quick prayer before starting on any work , and sought to ensure that he completely understood the content that had been taught . It was through correcting the little things that he finally managed to grasp fully what his teachers had imparted to him .
Another memorable moment he had in SJI was when he learned about servant leadership . Servant leadership is about placing individuals who are under one ’ s charge as one ’ s first priority . This principle has helped Maj Huang become a capable leader as he looked after the well-being of his subordinates and has gained their respect . The experiences that he went through as a student have had a profound impact on him . The knowledge that he had gained helped guide him as he pursued his dream of becoming a firefighter .
According to Maj Huang the initial acclimatisation training to become a firefighter was the hardest part . First , he had to get used to wearing the firefighting bunker gear . The gear is used as a form of protection but wearing it can be