Class of 2018 Celebrates – Vol 2

Our First Class of Eunoians have shone brilliantly in the college's beginning years. In this second volume, we spoke to our pioneering students, Caspian, Li-lyn, Sarah, Megan, Yue Tian and Clyde to hear their stories of recovering from setbacks, managing their time to pursue passion projects and leave a lasting legacy on the college, all while juggling academic work in a rigorous two-year journey in Eunoia.

PHOTOS BY PONHVOAN SREY

Caspian Ng (17-I1) is a steadfast leader, thinker and Eunoian in every respect. As the pioneering captain of Track & Field, he shouldered the responsibility of forging a strong team identity and laid the foundation for training and management. Finishing with a Gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the 'A' Division Track & Field Championships in 2018, he represented the Singapore Schools Track & Field team at the 10th ASEAN School Games held in Kuala Lumpur. Caspian was also a Student Councillor, who oversaw the creation and distribution of the college's distinctive sports team jackets. As the House Vice-Captain for Isami, he led efforts to bring his house together and excel at college events. Perceptive, energetic and a natural leader, he never failed to encourage and inspire his peers in and outside the classroom.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RECEIVING YOUR RESULTS LATER TODAY?

I feel mostly calm, knowing that I've tried my best. There's a certain part of me that is quietly confident because I have many people, including teachers and friends, telling me that they believe in me. If they believe in me, I ought to believe in myself.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

The first word that comes to mind is 'torturous'. It is an ordeal because you have to sit down for hours at a time reading stacks of notes and you have to just keep working, keep writing, keep completing assignments, keep finishing extra homework for consultations.

But it was also very fulfilling because of the unprecedented amount of effort and attention I put into my studies, and through that, I really, really learned a lot. My teachers told me in JC2 that they saw a very marked improvement in my performance and telling me that regardless of the outcome, they were proud of the progress I made. So it was really fulfilling to know that you are breaking your own barriers, and it is the journey of learning you go through not just for yourself, but for and with the friends and teachers alongside you.

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES ON THIS JOURNEY?

Apart from my studies, I took on multiple leadership positions and a heavy involvement in Track and Field. The month of March in my JC2 was one of the biggest challenges when I had all my commitments clashing, tight timelines and still the great destination of the A-Level Examination ahead. That was probably the period when I felt the most frazzled, drained and sometimes even despairing. When I looked at myself, there were moments I started to doubt myself and wondered if I overestimated myself. It was a journey in which I hit very high 'highs', but also some very bad 'lows'. Even though it was draining, sacrificing a lot along the way, I started to think back about the purpose of why I started each involvement, why I started my journey, and it gave me the strength to pull through.

I believe that at the end of it, I turned out to be a better person because of my choices. It was tough, but it shaped me to be who I am today and I don't think many experiences can compare to that.

Seck Li-lyn (17-E1) is an accomplished student, artist and leader who has left a legacy in Eunoia in several ways. Placed on the Dean's List (Service & Leadership), Li-lyn's humility, perseverance and passion earned her the respect of her peers. An outstanding Art student who attained distinctions in H2 and H3 Art, Li-lyn's entry for the UOB Painting of the Year (2018) was featured in the Singapore Youth Festival 2018 Art Exhibition. With a fellow Art student, she co-designed a LEGO mural to commemorate the college's inaugural graduation ceremony.

As the student conductor and section leader in the EJC Choir, she contributed significantly to the development of the CCA in its formative years. Truly a pioneer, she designed the Choir's performance costume, notice board and tickets for its inaugural concert. The elegant gowns and suits the choristers were the product of her resourcefulness and willingness to take criticism in stride. Dauntless, resilient and creative, Li-lyn has left a lasting impression on the Eunoia community, her teachers and peers.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

I entered Eunoia with average O-Level results and I honestly did not think that I would be able to do well at the start. My friends were the one driving force through it all. They were ready to support me all the way and because many of them had a very strong will and drive to excel, they pulled me from many episodes of self-doubt. Seeing everyone trying their best motivated me to try my best too.

There are many others who have been very important as well - a shout-out to Mr Timothy Ng, the best General Paper teacher ever! I'm very grateful to all my teachers, including my Geography teacher Mrs Kellie Woo and CT Mr Ng, for showing a lot of care and concern to all their students. Apart from academic grades, I think they drove us to see our dreams and aspirations, and really took time to sit down with us and talk to us about where we wanted to go after the A-Levels. I think that really helped us because we are sometimes so focused on results that we do not see the big picture. They really are there to sharpen our vision and help us get back.

AS A EUNOIAN FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

My first piece of advice would be to pace yourself. There will be many a time when you are highly motivated and want to give it your all, but you may burn out. Learning to know when and how to take things lightly is quite important. It is important to surround yourself with a group of like-minded friends who will strive with you. JC isn't just about academic success - it may seem like it at times, but you can really accomplish so much more if you look outside your bubble.

Sarah Lai (17-E3) is a versatile, determined and resilient young lady who has proven herself in various roles and responsibilities entrusted to her. As Class Chairperson, she led her class with equal parts heart and finesse. As a member of the college's Chinese Orchestra, she honed her skills quickly to play the cello with confidence, performing at the library@esplanade in 2017, the college's Official Opening ceremony in 2018 and community performances at St. Luke's Eldercare Centre. Her keen interest in the sciences as well as her passion for service, she served a short medical attachment with Parkway Hospitals to shadow and learn from different specialists.

In between these endeavours, she balanced training across multiple CCA commitments. At the 'A' Division Games in 2017, she represented the college in Basketball (Girls) and attained medals in Swimming, going on to represent Singapore in the 2017 Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in Brunei. In the 2018 'A' Division Swimming Championships, she did the college proud by winning silver in the 50m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle events.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

It was difficult certainly: there were many tutorials, lots of studying that went into preparing for the A-Levels. I definitely struggled to keep up. But at the same time it was through all these ups and downs that I learned to push myself and work hard, and also to believe in my ability to achieve what I wanted.

AS A EUNOIAN FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

Earlier in 2018, I had juggle two CCAs, Swimming and Chinese Orchestra, and my duties as a Class Chairperson. At that point in time, I was struggling to keep up with my work: while focusing on my CCAs, I tried to fit in time to do some work when I could. It was only closer to the A-Levels that I started to ramp up, and planning my time really helped. I like to see everything organised and structured and having a plan helped to keep my focus in the lead-up to the exams. Maybe I could have done better at the start of the year. While we will all experience difficulties - nothing is ever easy - but we definitely need a little push and self-belief to overcome our difficulties and achieve our goals.

Megan Heng (17-A5) is the recipient of the distinguished Harvard Prize Book (Singapore). Beyond placing twice on the Dean's List (Academic) in 2017 and 2018, Megan was an exemplary student who was a positive influence on her peers. Appointed as a mentor-buddy, she helped a new student adapt into her class and as the Class Vice-Chairperson, fostered encouraging friendships within her civics group. Under the college's GLIDE Talent Development Programme, she assisted residents at various Meet-the-People sessions with their issues and embarked on a separate mental health awareness project with her GLIDE team. Megan's heart for the community led her to participate in a range of service learning projects at the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped and TOUCH Community Services, distributing food to the home-bound in Ang Mo Kio and going the extra mile to know them on a personal level.

Law Yue Tian (17-A5) is a recipient of the MOE Pre-University Scholarship. Displaying commendable leadership in her role as a General Paper representative, she motivated her classmates in the subject and always offered a listening ear as a friend during stressful periods. She represented the college at the Pre-University Seminar in 2017 as a Social Engagement Activity coordinator, organising an outreach session in the Clementi neighbourhood. Passionate about serving and giving back to the community, she volunteered to coach students in life skills and in their homework under Nurture Programme 2.0 and embarked on a service learning journey to Sri Lanka as part of the Eunoia Global Orientation programme. An equally talented performer and a common sight on stage, Yue Tian also represented the college in Youth Got Talent!, a youth talent competition.

Clyde Lhui (17-A5) is a gem of a student, his passion for learning and quick-witted intelligence illuminating his classmates and teachers alike. A budding scientist, Clyde wrote and presented a VisualBasic programme to predict blast damage at the Young Defence Scientists Programme Congress in 2017, represented the college in the Singapore Physics Olympiad and QCamp 2018 organised by the NUS Centre for Quantum Technologies. Clyde was an avid member of the college's Media Club, contributing many delightful snapshots of college life and dutifully improving AV duty processes. His passion extends to the Japanese language, teaching fellow Eunoians the language at the college's Unconference Day. Clyde's desire to serve others saw him volunteer as a tutor to underprivileged children. Clyde is in many ways an unsung hero who brings together intellectual capacity and a zest for life.

AS EUNOIANS FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

Megan:  Being consistent is important because everyone knows how much work there is to do, and how we always have other commitments such as CCAs and volunteer work. So try to complete as much as possible, read and understand the lecture notes as much as possible. I think we have been very fortunate because our teachers are very supportive and very encouraging. We are not only able to learn from them, we are also able to talk about our life issues and they can relate to us. That really helped us a lot.

Yue Tian: For me, consultations really helped me cope with Economics and General Paper. As General Paper involves a lot of writing, you'd want your tutor to look through your work and give you comments. Despite our tutor's heavy workload, she was always willing to give individual and group consultations, and I am very thankful for that. To our juniors, you need to find out where you are struggling early and ask your tutors for help early.

Clyde: I think I took a more unconventional route. During my four years at Catholic High, I was more focused on learning the content and did not worry so much about exams. Looking back at my JC life, you need to know yourself, know where you are lacking and then what content you are not well-versed in. You do not always have to follow what everybody else is doing: it's more about understanding how you can improve yourself, and how you can better master the skills and content before you.

WHAT WERE SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON YOUR EUNOIA JOURNEY YOU REMEMBER FONDLY?

Yue Tian:  For me, it would be planning Orientation. While we missed many lessons to host activities, I made a lot of friends across classes, and I got to talk to juniors and influence them to make the best use of their 2 years in JC.

Clyde:  The highlight for me was being in Media Club, a CCA where I made many friends and gained a lot of skills. It was an outlet for me, something I could do in my free time and learn new knowledge in. It was nice to be in a community of learning, and going out on photo-runs and doing AV duty - even if it sounds boring - were actually fun. I felt that it made my JC life a lot more meaningful. It gave my JC life a purpose: to record what happened in school and preserve the memories I made along the way.

Megan:  I think in my two years here, what mattered to me most was the whole process, and the small things - the 30 minute breaks between lessons, where you'll be rushing to the canteen to eat, and then rushing to the next venue - and also the many events we had in school, which really enriched our school culture and made learning even more fun.