24 LUMEN | ALUMNI
Andre John Rodrigues
This page ( top ): Dance Club After Teacher ’ s Day 2017 This page ( centre ): TG610 ’ s Graduation Photoshoot
This page ( bottom ): Celebrating our birthdays with Teh Botol and a Broccoli !
At the end of our Year 1 orientation camp in 2013 , we sat in the Founder ’ s hall as our seniors played us a slideshow of photographs , while Rob Thomas ’ “ Little Wonders ” played in the background . It was therefore incredibly fitting and heartwarming to hear the same harrowed lyrics as we watched an updated version of the same slideshow , having graduated 6 years later .
“ Our lives were made in these small hours , these little wonders ”. Truly , the hallmark of any SJI education is the little wonders , the small moments that albeit short , are invaluable and precious .
In particular , my friends in my TG were a constant supply of little wonders . Precious moments like sitting together during lunch everyday , celebrating birthdays together in increasingly creative ways , and helping each other out with work during our contact time in the mornings . Whenever someone ’ s birthday was around the corner , we would collaborate on grand schemes over Whatsapp to surprise each other . Even through the busiest of times , we would never fail to conjure up something small but significant , be it a card or a picture to remind us that we are appreciated . Perhaps the greatest takeaway from my experiences with my TG was the ability to understand and communicate well . I trained the ability to attain genuine empathy and understanding towards others . By extension , this led to an enhanced capability to articulate my thoughts and influence my friends ’ lives positively . This ability served me throughout my two years as a senior student .
Perhaps the greatest testament to this was my decision to join Dance in Year 5 . Previously , I had involved myself with Hockey as a CCA , even serving as Captain during our ‘ B ’ Division Nationals . Deciding to take on an unfamiliar activity was a leap of faith on my part , with Dance being vastly different from the familiarities of my previous sport . However , being involved in Dance also supplied its fair share of little wonders . Being one of the few boys there , I was forced to make friends with members of the opposite sex , while also having to learn a new skill . While this was initially a challenge for me , I utilised my ability to understand and communicate , and began to forge authentic and meaningful bonds with the members . I was even allowed to choreograph dances for school performances , and was elected into a leadership role . Above all , I cherish the moments where we would stay in school after class and rehearse tirelessly , sharing a meal together after those sessions , and catching up with each other even to this day .
As I look back on the last 6 years , my mind replays the countless little wonders that the I shared with my peers . Whenever I meet up with friends we seem to share the same anecdotes over and over again , but I never get sick of them . Because those little wonders serve as a constant reminder of an equally blissful and rewarding 6 years in SJI .