ALUMNI | LUMEN
25
Kevan Toh
I
’ ve been a Josephian for almost all my life - from joining SJIJ in 2007 and continued my journey in SJI in the first IP batch in 2013 , to finally graduating in 2018 . And just like that , 12 years had gone by in a blink of an eye . I remember having an immensely difficult time settling in when I first joined the school , not just within academics , but also getting along with my peers as I was never the most well-liked , nor did I excel in any activities to gain the favour of my classmates . Yet , this never impeded me from doing my best and making friends who I could depend on . Classmates like Jonathan Ramakrishna and Isaac Yap from MN103 would later end up as my classmates once again in an unexpected reunion - 5 years later in JC1 . These 6 years in SJI has been a journey - you have your downs such as trying to rush BDT and Artscience projects one day before submission or having lunch periods taken up for more A math lessons by Ms Linette Lyn , but never forget your ups - 40-people free for all football during recess and going up to class
sweaty ( perhaps at times late ) after , emerging champions in National Inter-School Canoeing Competition B-Division for the first time in 15 years , or weekly nandos after school back at the holding campus in Bishan . Maybe even the occasional sneaking in of chicken drumlets and tenders from the Malay store into RME classes to feed our hungry stomachs ( Sorry Brother Kelvin !). Even in Years 5 and 6 , council has provided me with the opportunities to lead , most memorable of which would be planning Orientation Camp 2018 where I broke my wrist one day before first day of camp while filming a video meant for the camp and Mr Kelvin Seet just looking at me in disappointment . Or the times I played football with Ronn Chiew and Vikram during night study just 3 weeks before the IB exams . These are the memories I hold most fond , memories that remind me of the people who have made this journey so wholesome . Because at the end of the day , once you have been through the 6 years , you start to realize and appreciate all this moments a lot more . You start to recognize that the score you get is just a number , you learn to smile through the hardships and seemingly impossible deadlines . Once you graduate , walking through the corridors of school feels like a walk down memory lane , familiar faces greeting you , from the warm smiles of Father Danker , Mr Seet , Ms Cheng to name a few , to teachers like Mr Firmin Lee who looks out for me like a brother even after graduating .
Appreciate what the school has to offer to you , and what you can offer to the school . Appreciate the values that the school tries to impart to you , because once you graduate , you start to see how these values of Faith , Service and Community will guide you through the maze that is life . I am not who I am if it were not for the people who Ive had the gracious opportunity to meet in these few years . I walk away from SJI , knowing that the friendships , the memories I ’ ve forged will last me a lifetime . Because you can take me out of SJI , but you can never take SJI out of me .
This page ( top ): Canoeists can be Dragonboaters too
This page ( bottom ): Class of 2018 Graduation