When I take stock of the things that I am really thankful for in my life, one thing that immediately comes to mind is the stellar education I received during my six years at Singapore American School. While SAS has a rigorous academic program that thoroughly challenged me, when I look back, what first comes to mind is all that I learned beyond the walls of the classroom. For me, this learning came in the form of working with a variety of service clubs and organizations. What makes these clubs and organizations different from those of any other school is that they are truly empowered to make an impact because they are given the resources to do so through the support of the SAS Foundation.
Throughout my high school career, the organizations I was part of were granted over $60,000 from the SAS Foundation. In the second semester of my senior year, I proposed that our school host a TEDx event, an independently organized TED-like event. I did not expect to receive the support I did, especially given the late nature of my request. However, our high school students, faculty, and administration were all so enthusiastic about the event that they granted us $20,000 and gave a group of 27 students the chance to plan the event from start to finish. Today, it continues to be a platform for ideas that would have otherwise gone unheard.
I was also involved in Executive Service Council in my junior and senior years of high school. Executive Service Council consists of six elected students, and is in charge of organizing school-wide service events, monitoring club activities, and providing aid to over 60 new and existing service clubs in the high school. At the end of my junior year, we proposed that a service fund be started to provide service clubs with more direct access to funds. This way, club officers could apply for a grant and engage in more meaningful and impactful activities besides fundraising. The SAS Foundation set aside $25,000 for service clubs and allowed the Executive Service Council to accept and evaluate applications for grants. This was a momentous learning opportunity for both the Executive Service Council members and all of our club leaders who chose to take advantage of this initiative.
Lastly, I was involved in the Global Issues Network (GIN) whose mission is to empower young people to collaborate locally, regionally, and globally to create sustainable solutions for global issues. One way students fulfill the mission is through GIN conferences, which are student-led gatherings of change-makers. Throughout my time in high school, the SAS Foundation supported multiple GIN conferences including GINSing 2012, BeiGIN 2013, and GINSING 2014. This had an immeasurable impact on the SAS student body and community who had incredible learning experiences planning and attending GIN conferences.
I cannot thank the SAS Foundation enough for their generosity, their empowerment of students, and the hands-on learning experiences they made possible. I have come into college with skills that many of my peers are just beginning to learn. It is for this reason that I have just recently made my first donation to the SAS Foundation. I encourage all students, alumni, parents, and faculty to give back to the SAS Foundation because your donation will go towards creating a generation of innovators, leaders, and dreamers
from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2pukN4d
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