Eunoian of the Year – Nicolette Tan Wen Qi

The Eunoian of the Year award recognises an outstanding Eunoian who exemplifies the Eunoia vision and demonstrates exemplary academic performance, character and outstanding personal qualities through behaviour and actions.

The Eunoian of the Year for 2019 is Nicolette Tan Wen Qi (17-A3). An all rounder, she performed with distinction in the academic, sporting and leadership domains; and exemplified the values of integrity, courage and selfless love for others.  She helped build a vibrant college culture as Head of Culture Committee in the 1st Student Council, developing college cheers, producing collaterals, and organising the inaugural Euphoria.  She was also a highly regarded Captain of the Badminton Girls Team, representing Singapore with distinction at the 9th ASEAN School Games in 2017, and the Asian Badminton Schools Championships in 2018, winning the SSSC’s Sportsgirl of the Year (Badminton) award in 2018. She was always supportive of those in need, while striving for academic excellence. Her performance at the 2018 GCE A-Level Examination is testament to her resilience and determination to fulfil her purpose in pursuing medicine.

On 11 May 2019, Nicolette delivered the Eunoian of the Year Address at the University Cultural Centre to an audience of staff, students, parents, guests and fellow alumni gathered for Eunoia's third College Day.

Address by

Eunoian of the Year

COLLEGE DAY 2019

Good afternoon Mrs Wong-Cheang Mei Heng, Dr Su Guaning, Mr Christopher de Souza, distinguished guests, parents, teachers and fellow Eunoians,

It is an honour to be standing here and addressing everyone here today. I am very humbled to receive this award and seeing so many familiar faces brings back so many memories of my two years at Eunoia.

I would like to begin by telling you about how I initially felt about the college through my experience in the orientation planning committee back in 2016. When we first stepped into the school for orientation preparations at the end of 2016, I felt lost and had a lot of self-doubt. Planning an orientation for my batchmates, not juniors, in a school with no seniors or school culture? I still remember the awkward ice breakers and stepping into the Mount Sinai campus for the first time — very dull, small and quiet. Truth be told, it was a very scary experience because we were all skeptical about this new journey we were embarking on together. However, we gradually broke the ice, got to know one another, and in turn to trust one another and our teachers. We did the best we could, brainstorming designs for our house mascots, writing our first house cheers and planning new activities together. But the one thing I remember most vividly was the campfire finale, where everyone came together as one school for the first time. It was a very special moment for me and I remember feeling a rush of excitement, hope and pride. Our first successful event together was proof that we could make things happen if we work together and believe in ourselves. It gave us more confidence and courage in our capacity to succeed as the pioneering cohort, and to think about the legacy we want to leave behind.  And they was how our journey began.

To the J1s and J2s seated here today, you may be at the stage of your JC lives when the work seems to be never-ending and you are getting burnt out. I understand the struggles all of you are facing now and it is only human to feel discouraged or exhausted from the insane workload and long school days, because we have been in your shoes before. Those two years were definitely not the easiest — we struggled academically, struggled to stay awake during lessons and even struggled to create our own school identity. I am sure the J3s seated here will remember them quite clearly as well. Our first challenge was definitely the academic rigour, which we had clearly underestimated until the Mid-Year Examinations in JC1. Since we had no seniors, we did not know what to expect and especially since it was just a few months after orientation, the reality of JC life had not properly sunk in yet. All that changed when Mrs Wong reviewed our results as a cohort after the examination. I remember the hall being dead silent as reality hit us and we realised at that moment just how much harder we had to work. It was a major wake-up call.

Another challenge we faced was the juggling of our various commitments, with some of us having two CCAs. I remember the beginning of J2 being the most hectic period of time, when I was part of the organising committee for orientation, busy preparing for various competitions and projects, and trying to keep up with the unrelenting pace of lessons in the year we were sitting for the A level exams. Everyday I was mentally and physically exhausted, barely able to keep up and there were many instances when I started doubting my own ability to cope with all my commitments and responsibilities. These challenges made us made me feel at times as if we were being thrown into the deep end of the pool and we all struggled to stay afloat. But we faced these challenges head-on. Getting bad grades and having bad days are a part and parcel of life. We accepted failure, picked ourselves up and tried even harder. These experiences will make us stronger and more resilient as we prepare to pursue our dreams, fulfil our calling, seek out our vocation in our next phase of life. I guess it all paid off when we came back to Mount Sinai just a few months back to receive our A-level results. To all the juniors here, my advice is to be optimistic, be prepared and grit your teeth when you face any challenges. You will come out stronger.

At the end of the day, it is not the studying or long days that were memorable, but the friendships forged. I still remember the mad rush to Ghim Moh market for lunch, the group study sessions, the mass nap sessions and countless silly moments I had with my classmates. I will also never forget the new friendships forged in my CCAs, where the councillors bonded through our 2am Skype sessions to plan for events and the shuttlers encouraged one another during our gruelling physical training sessions. So to my batchmates who are here today, we have had our fair share of good times and bad times. But when the odds were against us, when faced with uncertainty, we confronted them together and we came out stronger from these experiences. So thank you for starting the magic that we see today, thank you for all the memories and thank you for your friendship. I am very proud of how far we have come.

This journey would have been even harder if not for the people who have been there for us. I am truly thankful for the support we have received from our teachers. From the little notes of encouragement I received from my Civics Tutor and council teachers or seeing the passionate teachers in charge of Badminton rush down for our tough matches despite their busy schedules, to the countless number of consultations that I had with my subject tutors to catch up when I fall behind or the valuable advice given when I needed them: these are just some of the moments that show how the teachers have been there with me (with all of us) every step of the way.

I will also never forget our approachable school leaders for always putting us first and encouraging us during tough times with pep-talks during morning assemblies or even when we meet along the corridors. I still recall the numerous instances when Mrs Wong or our previous deputy principals would smile and strike up a conversation with me, which made me feel very welcomed. We appreciate all the support that Eunoia has provided in this phase of our journey. And since many Eunoians – not just those in the JIP – have passed through the gates of Catholic High, SCGS and St Nick’s, on behalf of our cohort, I would like to say thank you to the principals who are here today: Ms Soh Lai Leng, Mrs Eugenia Lim and Mrs Fiona Tan.

Please convey our appreciation to the teachers and staff who have walked this journey with us. While we are on the topic of thanking various groups of people, let us not forget the ones we may unfortunately sometimes take for granted, but will always be our strongest pillars of support. Thank you mum and dad for the valuable advice, for the rides back home when I am physically and mentally exhausted, for scolding me when I procrastinate and for being there for me every step of the way.

To end off, I would like to introduce one of our school’s special Special Interest Group to all of you — EJC’s one and only farming club. This club started when a group of boys found the rooftop garden behind LT4 that was barely used. I still remember how it looked like when I saw it for the first time. It was covered with weeds, messy and unappealing, I did not even dare step into it. But these boys took matters into their own hands. I’ve heard it started off as something of a joke at first, when they spontaneously decided to create their own garden. Many people laughed it off at the beginning because it did not look like it was going to succeed. But gradually, more students started to take notice of it and they began to work in partnership with teachers and have also collaborated with the Environment Club. In the end, the farming club successfully managed to grow a variety of fruits such as bananas and beautiful flowers. Various people, including school helpers, stepped in to help maintain that space, so that it has become a part of our community that we tend and care for. It was a neglected space, but it is now a place that brings people together.

In the same way that a small grass patch on a school roof could become a beautiful garden, I believe Eunoians have similar potential for such growth and transformation as well. We started by thinking of a name, articulating an Ethos, writing an anthem and designing a uniform.  We did not stop there.  We now have Houses, we have a Council, student leaders, our first graduands.  And we will not stop there. We are still a fairly new school and there is so much more we can all do. People thought we couldn’t make it, but we proved them wrong. We have started a legacy here at Mount Sinai, but the Bishan campus will be another clean slate, another patch of grass that can be transformed into a garden.  Each of us can continue to play a role in forging a new legacy for many batches to come. So take that leap of faith, step out of your comfort zone and do your part to make EJ even better. You-Know-Ya can do it.

Thank you for your kind attention and have a great day ahead.

Nicolette Tan Wen Qi (17-A3)