A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... AMAN SINGH CHAUHAN, UWCSEA DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS DEVELOPMENTFACILITIES AND OPERATIONS

In this edition, Aman Singh Chauhan shares with us his daily activities as the Director of Campus Development at UWCSEA.

04:40 / Reading in the morning

Helloooo and good morning to another beautiful day! My early morning routine is almost always the same - drinking a litre of lukewarm water, reading a book and meditating. I then brew a tea of my own invention that helps jumpstart my day; it includes ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds and more. Then it’s time to wake the kids and chat over their breakfast about how our day looks like by this beautiful sunrise over Bukit Timah.

06:45 / Riding the Bus

I grab a banana as I head out the door and walk to the bus stop. Today my wife accompanies me for the walk, which is a privilege. I ride the bus for 45 minutes to campus and use the time to catch up on chats with my parents and siblings.

08:00 - 08:30 / Critical Infrastructure Review

I do a quick check-in with various team members. Helpdesk, critical infrastructure review on digital dashboard, bus service, security and food services have my attention first thing in the morning and I connect with these leaders based on the priorities for the day.

08:30 - 09:10

I meet team leaders from across campus to discuss Health and Safety, Child Safeguarding and any major administrative work.

09:15 - 10:00

I meet the Head of College to provide him with an update on a significant project and related milestone and have also agreed upon some of the strategic works that are unfolding in the next 3-6 months.

10:10

It’s 10:10 and on my way back to my office I have a quick check-in with the food services manager and Head Chef. We run a large operation with an average of 7000 meals a day!

10:30-11:30

I meet with our procurement team to work on a project that needs to go out for tender.

11.30- 2:00 / Lunchtime with Plants

It’s a busy day so it’s time for an early lunch - I grab a big salad bowl, and go to my favourite hideout where I can talk to my friends “The Plants” - they are always very good listeners!

12:00 - 13:00

Accreditation meeting for the Council of International Schools. It’s a significant process and we agree on the next steps before we meet the extended team.

13:00 - 13:10

On the way to my next meeting I take a few minutes for a dynamic stretch and a few deep breaths.

13:15 - 14:00 / Meeting with Students

Meeting with students working on a technological accelerator to reduce food waste on campus. My engagements with students are special as they are always creative and inspiring. This is definitely my favourite meeting of the day!

14:00 - 15:30

Catching up on emails and preparing for an upcoming Leadership meeting.

15:30 - 16:00

An operational update meeting with the Head of College where he shares some of the updates on structure as well as significant projects that are underway.

16:00 - 16:15 / My Tea Break

Time for a quick walk in the garden next to my office and another 5 minutes of dynamic stretching. I have made myself a tea, hmmm this reminds me of a very kind colleague of mine who sent this special tea over for my team.

16:15 - 17:00 / Facilities Operations

I am chairing a meeting to review the largest Facilities and Operations project this year - bringing a large playground to our beautiful East Campus. We are very excited to add this wonderful feature which will add so much joy to the community.

17:00 - 17:30

Meeting with Pris, a wonderful colleague who basically keeps me sane during these busy days! She shares project updates and we look at the agenda for tomorrow.

17:30 - 18:00

Checking in with a new colleague. Eva has joined our team in the capacity of Environment Health and Safety Manager and she shared that she had a good day which makes me happy.

18:00

My alarm goes off, suggesting that I need to be in the Gym, however there are some invoices and purchase orders to be approved. I extend the alarm by 20 minutes but I am committed to my workout.

18:30 - 19:10 / Gym Time

I hit the gym, a combination of cross fit and weights. At the same time I am listening to my favourite music which helps me relax. We have a wonderful fitness centre on campus. I do take some credit for physically building it last year so there is a natural sense of belonging too!

19:30

I call it a day on campus and head home. On the bus I tune into the podcast “A Little Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek”

20:15

I reach home and quickly check to see if the kids are still awake - Yipieeeee they are pretending but aren’t asleep yet! We share about our days and then it’s lights out.

20:45

I put on some instrumental music and have dinner with my wife. This is our time to connect and catch up on the day.

21:30

Time to read and meditate for a short time, reflect on my day and make some mental thank you’s. Now it’s time to recharge.

22:30

Sleep time!

About UWCSEA

We are a united, welcoming community that embraces students and their families from around 100 different nations. The second member of the UWC Movement, the College was opened by Lee Kuan Yew as Singapore International School in 1971. SIS became the United World College of South East Asia in 1975 and has gradually expanded to become the K–12 international school of over 5,600 students across two campuses that it is today.

Our community, while large, celebrates and builds on the success of individuals, with an aim to create a wider impact through our Mission. UWCSEA embodies everything the UWC Movement stands for: concern and compassion for others, the willingness to accept responsibility, and tenacity in pursuit of the truth. What also distinguishes our students is how much they give service to others: their compassion and commitment are writ large in the many hundreds of hours of impactful service the College bears witness to every year, across a hugely diverse range of Activities, and which we celebrate as much as our Academic achievements.