Author: singh18531@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

This is my final CAS interview.

Thank you!

We have just completed SEASAC and more than 3 months together, and I am extremely glad to say that I have enjoyed this basketball season and SEASAC the most in my 4 years on the U19A team.

We have had our fair share of highs and lows all season, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way as much last season for basketball, because I think that this is one of the most important aspect of sports, which gives us mental toughness to overcome challenges. This SEASAC begun with one of our worst games of basketball played against the best girls team in Singapore. We lost by 12-55 and halfway through the game the outcome of the game was obvious and the morale was low because we had previously done far better against this team (lost by a smaller margin) and our shots weren’t falling etc. But I think that we overcame this pretty easily because we knew what mistakes we had made as a team and individually which we corrected in our next game. I was very happy in the next game because I had gone on a hot streak and made all of my shots in the second quarter (including 2 3s). I think that this game gave me the confidence I needed in myself for the whole weekend, and this was very important for me personally in order to do well in the next coming games. I think that the season has demonstrated this learning outcome all season but I think that basketball simply highlighted this/made it fairly obvious to me, which I think is extremely important because it is important to reflect on our personal growth all season.

I also think that I’ve never had more fun in any basketball season than this one. I think that this team all clicked so well together, regardless of us all being of different grades, and I definitely think that it had a big impact on our team spirit. For example, on the court we used to all encourage each other if we miss shots or if we miss a free throw, and I think that it definitely helped improve team morale if we were losing by a lot for example, just knowing that your team still believes in you and will continue to have our back. We all trusted each other on and off the court, even though we were an unlikely and random group of people and I think that I think that that is such a rare and precious thing; it made my final basketball season even more memorable. Here are some photos we took as a team during SEASAC.

I am incredible excited about the upcoming season, given that it is my final season of a sport I have been playing for more than 8 years now. However, I am a little anxious given that last year, the team was entirely dependent upon the seniors (who evidently graduated) whilst not fostering the growth of younger players who would continue to play the next season. I am excited to get a bigger role for the team, but anxious that I haven’t been in this position on this team. However, what makes me feel better is the fact that at the end of the day, basketball is a team sport and I have people position all around me in order to help me grow and learn.

I think so far, the focus in training has been on Communication. For instance, we do this drill in which if the team doesn’t call out the shot in order to get the rebound, the entire team has to run the length of the court. I think this has been incredibly important because for a team sport, I believe that communication is one of the most important qualities. I think that I am not as quiet and reserved as last year, given that I have earned a bigger playing role on the team and that I am a senior. Because of this, I think that one goal I can set for myself is helping out the younger players to amalgamate better within the group. I remember when I was in grade 9, I knew no one on the team, and thus felt a little alienated until the seniors helped me get more comfortable. I would be very happy if I can achieve this goal, because I know what it feels like to be in their position and I want to do anything that I can in order to help them have a great basketball season. Another goal that I’m setting for myself is being friends with most of the team. So far, I have remained with the seniors and some who returned from the team last year, but I want to make it a priority to get to know my entire team better, given that I know they are wonderful people and that I have to make the most of my last year in UWC.

Thank you.

Ladakh GC has been one of the most significant experiences of my high school life, as well as one of my longest commitments in high school. Over the course of this season, the GC had to go over the process of handing over the leadership to the next suitable chairs, and given that the main responsibilities of the chair had ended then, I realised that it was soon my final few GC sessions with Ladakh. Ladakh, over the years, and especially in the past few months, had endowed me with experiences and skills of which I will really be grateful.

Firstly, Ladakh GC taught me the value of full and selfless commitment to the cause, from which I became more principled (LO7). I think that since I was in a leadership role, I had to, at times, ignore my personal inconvenience in order for the betterment of the GC as a whole. An example of this was having to come in after school, during an extremely busy G12 first term, in order to discuss how the GC has been functioning in the new year. I think this taught me the importance of appreciating the role I have been given and chosen to undertake in this GC. I realised that this GC, which supported children’s education, was far bigger than my own personal work life. I think that this understanding, which developed over time as a leader, was very important for me because it made me a more selfless leader. One instance of this is when I volunteered to listen to a talk given by the service office, instead of being part of the chair and leadership elections, which as a group, are always fun to be at. I knew the value of setting up Ladakh GC’s online base, thus, thought it was far more significant that 20 minutes of my personal enjoyment. This overall understanding made me a far more principled member of Ladakh GC, and I am ever grateful for that.

Next, because Ladakh GC focuses on raising awareness about the issues surrounding the Ladakh children and their community, I engaged with issues of global importance (LO6). As an introduction task for new members of the new year, Mehak and I chose to allow the members of the group to conduct their own research and arrive at the main problems affecting the Ladakhi community. This is because we felt that information would be retained far better, if it wasn’t spoon fed to them, but rather when they passionately searched for it on their own. Then, we allowed the entire group to share what they found. I think that this activity was interesting, since when 15 or more people searched for issues, there is always a new interpretation of information that is found. I think that from this activity being conducted twice, under our leadership, I understood that as a GC, the issue of children’s education is one of the most important in the world. I saw this in my other classes, such as Global Politics too, where I understood that one of the most effective ways of changing unjust or prejudiced social practices is through the education of children especially, whose mindsets will set the course of future generations. This confirmed my learnings from Ladakh GC, and instead of changing the way I perceived this issue, it strengthened my dedication towards improving the service.

Finally, no joint leadership is possible without effective collaboration (LO5). This was a skill of mine that was enhanced during and prior to each GC session. During the sessions, and over time, there was an unspoken understanding of the separate tasks we completed. For instance, Mehak used to delegate the tasks at the start of the session to the entire GC, whereas I used to go around afterwards, ensuring that the members were not only on task, but working to the best of their abilities for the GC. Prior to each GC session, Mehak and I used to get together in our free period and organise the running of the next session, as well as reflect upon the progress of the previous session. This collaboration came almost easily for the two of us, with her being one of my closest friends. I think that this effective collaboration was extremely important to constantly improving us as leaders, since we were also able to take the feedback of the GC facilitators and incorporate that into our next session. This, I like to think, created a persistent improvement in the way that we run the GC – something that we hope to have passed on to the next chairs.

I am incredibly grateful for my experience with Ladakh GC, and I wish the next chairs the best of luck, since it although it is a challenging role to run a GC, it is extremely rewarding, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S_mmv8OYbWm8VSeXV7RW7ttDayBc7SB3

Here is my video reflection for season 1 of Ladakh GC.

Thank you!