ISSUE 6 Published July 2019 © Advancement and Communications Office St Joseph’s Institution International 490 Thomson Road Singapore 298191 6353 9383 www.sji-international.com.sg
The official magazine of the SJI International Alumni Association
CONTENTS
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THE GREATEST LEARNING Ms Daver and Mr Crowley
NEW JOURNEY TO THE WEST Samuel Mok Class of 2014
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TUMBLING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Marcel Chuo Class of 2011
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LOOKING BEYOND OURSELVES Victoria Lim Class of 2016
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VENTURING INTO THE UNKNOWN Ong Ju Boon Class of 2017
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE How time flies! This year marks the 10th cohort that has graduated from SJII, and for those of us from the pioneer batch: ten years since we left the school.
Ian Chai I have now spent more years working than I spent in SJII, but the lessons and memories remain. What happened between Nalaka and Suraj in a legendary Chemistry lesson is still fresh in my mind (this has to be recounted in person), the music Sameer played still rings in my ear – only because he now plays as part of Dreebsy (check them out on Spotify) - a new edition of Pokemon had just been released, and I hear another edition is soon to be released again. So much has changed, and yet so much does not: looking out for the last, the lost, and the least is still an ethos that I see and hear both real examples and echoes of in the real world, and often, it’s a sure identifier of a Lasallian – and I hope that continues to be the case for our generation. This year’s theme is Neon, and the first thing that came to my mind was John Mayer’s ‘Neon’, a song that is now 18 years old, and a classic. There is a line that goes ‘Who knows how long, how long, how long she can go before she burns away’. I am definitely taking this out of the context of the song, but my wish for you in the year ahead, and the coming years is that you never burn out in this way: that you always fight the good fight, run the marathon, dig deep, and manage to find the time and energy for the things you believe in – I hope you keep our ethos in mind – all whilst managing to find the time to spend with your loved ones.
I say this because millennial burn-out is a real thing. It is not the mark of a pillowysoft ‘strawberry generation’, nor the mark of a generation with a distinct lack of determination. Quite the contrary: the levels of competition, information overload, and ‘hustling’ one has to do after leaving many years of already competitive and often stressful schooling is unprecedented. I do not think I would be exaggerating in saying that a fulfilling and meaningful career – a vocation - gains a lot of currency in such circumstances. And I hope that whether you are embarking on a new season of life, coming to the end of one, or just feeling restless, that you find that career! Perhaps, look within these pages to find inspiration in the stories of one of our very own, as they have blazed, carved and discovered paths through the undergrowth into amazing vistas. And even if you do burn out, I hope you know that you will always have us as a community to look to, to rest and recharge with, and to bounce ideas off. In any case, come home to say hi sometime :) This is also my last message as your alumni President, as I step aside for new blood to invigorate the Alumni Association. I will be furthering my studies in New York, so please do look me up if you ever find yourself there in the next year. It’s been an honour and my pleasure serving you. Ora et Labora
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Ms Tannaz Daver and Mr Aidan Crowley
THE GREATEST LEARNING
As we enter the last week of term we like to review the part of the year where cohorts converge. The Class of 2018 graduated last November and received their results in early January. For some students they have already submitted early applications to the USA, UK and parts of Asia and now the flurry of applications picks up again as students submit to the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Europe. At the same time the incoming Grade 12, the Class of 2019 are getting their journey up and running. As we help one cohort through the realisation of their ambitions the excitement is equally enthralling as we hear new stories and dreams all with the hope of realising ambition. It is in this time we encounter the Neon if you will. Although many of the tools remain the same, the questions we ask during guidance sessions, the resources we use, tweak and refine to construct meaningful university lists, the responses, stories and outcomes are the Neon. It’s what keeps our work so fresh; there is always something new to learn, a new way of tackling a challenge, a new perspective to embrace. It is perhaps the greatest part of our work, to learn something from our students, as
they embark on what one might argue is one of the most important decisions they will make at this point in their lives. Of course, the greatest learning comes from sharing knowledge, and it is here where our alumni come to the fore. We seek to develop people of integrity and people for others. To leave us and live lives of purpose and meaning. Our alumni are amongst the most generous of spirit I have encountered in my educational journey. It is without doubt the most favourite part of our work to welcome you home and to share your stories and experiences with the next generation of SJI International graduates. It is this symbiotic relationship that makes many things possible. It can be as simple as sharing your email address with a current student so they can ask questions about your experience or giving up your time to come to campus and share with them personally. Whatever the medium, we are grateful for your generosity of spirit and continued support and look forward to welcoming you home continually in the future.
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Photo by Ricardo Seah
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Marcel Chuo
TUMBLING DOWN THE BITCOIN RABBIT HOLE
Bitcoin. Some will tell you it’s a technological wonder and financial miracle that will change the world. Others will say it’s a ponzi scheme, worse than rat poison. Which is it? Well, I’ve had the opportunity to work in the Bitcoin industry and would like to share with you some of the insights I’ve learned. Welcome to the world of Bitcoin
What is bitcoin?
In the weird world of Bitcoin, reality is stranger than fiction. It is a world full of libertarians, anarchists, cypherpunks, computer nerds, meat loving (read antivegan) bitcoin maximalists, the everincreasing fat cat bankers and of course, “blockchain expert” politicians.
Some will tell you that it is a form of peer to peer electronic cash, others will tell you it is digital gold. They will talk about how bitcoin is hard money because it has a 21 million supply limit, how bitcoin transactions are immutable (irreversible), is secured by insane amounts of hashrate (computing power) and is based on the laws of mathematics. Bitcoin is all these things, and yet, it is not.
During my time in the space, I’ve met phenomenal coders who tabulate how various doses of mind-altering drugs affect their coding ability. They do this to discover the optimal drug intake for maximised coding performance. In the company I work for, we have interviewed a bitcoin evangelist, who despite being incredibly wealthy, had given up all material comforts to fight terrorists through guerrilla warfare in the middle east. On the other side of that coin, I’ve seen entrepreneurs so wealthy, they throw private yacht parties in parts of Mediterranean Sea that they legally own.
This is not widely known, but there is a faction in bitcoin that is pushing for the supply cap of bitcoin to be raised from 21 million. Also, the CEO of the world’s largest crypto exchange, which started in mid2017 and made even more money than Deutsche bank, was seriously considering a reorg of the Bitcoin blockchain. He wanted to recover the 40 million dollars that was stolen from his company by hackers. Unlimited supply, reversible transactions? All these things seem to completely
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contradict everything that defines bitcoin. So, what is Bitcoin? In my opinion, Bitcoin is social consensus between four vital groups; users, miners, developers and exchanges. No single party can control Bitcoin because they must agree with each other’s actions. It’s this complex social structure of checks and balances, where everyone gets a say. A strange form of direct democracy, where if a large enough group disagrees with the status quo, they can fork Bitcoin, like a community choosing to leave their society to form their own new society. A Message to Current SJII Students My journey post SJII has taken me all over the world. NYC, Guayaquil, Puerto Rico, Rome, Paris, Medellin, Stockholm, Budapest, Singapore, Tbilisi, Seoul, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. I never thought I would get to experience the things I did, because when I was a student in SJII, life seemed so incredibly tracked. The career paths were obvious and once you got into them, every day in front of you looked like every day before you. But, I found a different path. My own path. And I want you all to know that if you open your heart and mind to the possibilities, you might just discover something different as well.
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin
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Samuel Mok
NEW JOURNEY TO THE WEST
The #10yearchallenge took social media by storm in 2019, but my #10yearchallenge, since I started attending SJII in 2009, was to strengthen two of my greatest passions: Photography and Geography. 5 years after graduating SJII, this is what I have accomplished: From Interest to Passion
Leadership Roles
Overseas education may be new territory but completing 2 years of university in the UK with Royal Holloway’s Geography department has given me a new perspective of Singapore and the world.
This year, I was given new responsibilities as a committee member in Royal Holloway. Student leadership is one aspect of SJII that I admire, and I am delighted that I can continue upholding such responsibilities in university.
I owe this pursuit to the informative and interactive Geography lessons back in SJII, which took us to field trips in Chiang Mai and Tioman and piqued my interest in the subject. An undergraduate degree overseas has its perks, such as exploring new countries like Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium and Italy for the first time. My photography experience has taken off as a result as I captured new landscapes like Mt Etna; the first active volcano I climbed up.
I became a media officer for the Geography Society; allowing me to exercise my photography and social skills. Furthermore, I decided to take on the role as an International Students Representative to help the department attract more overseas students. Being an interfaith officer for London’s Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF), I also made new friends outside of Royal Holloway. I am willing to carry on introducing university students into Christian communities as I prepare for the new phase of overseas studies that is graduation.
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Final Thoughts 2 years in the UK used to be overwhelming as I transitioned into a new (colder) environment. However, I am glad that I can do the passions that I love and leave my mark as an SJII alumnus.
Photo by Ricardo Seah
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Victoria Lim
LOOKING BEYOND OURSELVES
I sat in a qayaq, every part of my body from neck down zipped up tightly in a wetsuit, neoprene-gloved fingers tightly clutching a Greenlandic paddle. My hair was a frazzled, tangled mess, and my nose was running from the cold, but I felt nothing but warmth. I was gliding, on calm waters, in the middle of a fjord with thousands of tiny, luminescent jellyfish bobbing beneath the surface of the water. The air was clear and unadulterated, every inhale of breath inviting and crisp. So this is what it’s like, I marveled, to be breathing air from the other side of the world. Every experience on my 14-day Arctic expedition with Students on Ice (SOI) was imbued with the same wonder that filled me in that moment — and frankly, I had expected as much from SOI. SOI has been leading expeditions to the polar regions for over 18 years and still remains the best medium for students to learn about this mysterious, seemingly inaccessible part of the world. The specific itinerary varies every year, but each expedition follows the same main framework: big concepts like climate change adaption or sustainable development goals are broken down into digestible chunks, in
the form of workshops, panel discussions, and presentations. Students tailor their own learning journey, picking whichever workshops they want to attend depending on their interests. A diverse team of staff are brought on board to lead these sessions — professionals who are experts in their field, who have worked in the polar regions for decades or even come from Arctic communities themselves. (Just to give you a taste — we learnt from, joked and had meals with people like Canada’s Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Head Chairman of one of Canada’s top sustainability consultancies, Greenland’s government representative in the Arctic Council and even the CEO of Canada Goose!) Students also sail every day to different places around the Greenlandic and Canadian Arctic, learning in the greatest classrooms on earth — Mother Nature, and in communities with people who have an intimate connection with the land.
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It is simply impossible to explain everything that I learnt, saw and experienced, but my biggest takeaways from the expedition remind me to look beyond myself. I mean this in two main ways. Firstly, I understand — now, more than ever before — that the way I experience the world can be vastly contrary to someone else, and so, it is vital to sincerely listen, ask, and show care for others who may not see eye to eye with you. I have become more aware of my biases, and the importance of different perspectives in crafting any story. This dawned on me most vividly when we watched Angry Inuk, a documentary that chronicled how the boycott of seal products destroyed Inuit livelihoods and way-of-life. Hunting is not only an integral part of Inuit culture and necessary for their very survival, but is also what binds them to nature, as it makes tangible the dependency that they have on animals. As a result, they hunt sustainably, taking only what they need, and waste no part of their kill. This is the narrative that was lost in the EU ban on seal products in 2010. So many opportunities begin to arise once you recognise what a diversity of voices can add to the table. An example of this was reflected during a workshop on Arctic plants. During that workshop, a Canadian plant biologist and an Inuit lady who had indigenous plant knowledge led the session together. This made for a much more engaging and comprehensive class
because each expert could fill in the gaps that the other had left out. My second takeaway reminded me of the impact that our actions have beyond ourselves, solidified by the numerous stories I gathered from my Inuit friends about the ramifications of climate change on their own communities. They spoke of how more people have been falling through the ice and freezing to death, due to the unpredictability of ice conditions given the warming temperatures. They spoke of how the changing climate affects their hunting seasons, a massive threat to their traditional and cultural practices. Hearing all these personal accounts moved me deeply, and they have added a layer of urgency to the things that I study and the work that I do.
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It is simply impossible to explain everything that I learnt, saw and experienced, but my biggest takeaways from the expedition remind me to look beyond myself.
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One of the biggest reasons why we need to protect the planet is for people; people who are dependent on the land and on nature to survive. For the people who are the most affected by the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation or unsustainable industrial practices. How can we grow sustainably with all this in mind, and without leaving anyone behind? I don’t have the answer to this yet, but I will carry this question with me moving forward in my studies, my career and in life. In retrospect, the foundations of these lessons had already started forming whilst I was at SJII. It was SJII that encouraged me “to learn how to learn and to learn how to live, empowering [us] to become people of integrity and people for others”.
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It was SJII that encouraged me “to learn how to learn and to learn how to live, empowering [us] to become people of integrity and people for others”.
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Just two years ago, I never would’ve guessed where life would take me. Never would’ve dreamed of the places I’d go or the growth I’d experience. What I did know was that I went to a school that had my back, that would encourage me to take my passions and run wild with them, whether that meant missing lessons to go to a conference or restructuring the environmental club however I liked. What I did know was that I could count on my teachers and counselors to challenge my thinking, to be a board to bounce ideas off of, to bolster me in my endeavors.
Photo (c) Robert Kautuk/SOI Foundation
Photo (c) Martin Lipman/SOI Foundation
Exploring icebergs within Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord during our first Zodiac excursion of the expedition.
That was the beauty of it — I never would’ve guessed where life would take me, but with the support of family, friends, and SJII, I never needed to know. I knew I just had to take the first step, and I’d be okay.
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VENTURING INTO THE UNKNOWN
Ong Ju Boon
I enlisted in the Naval Diving Unit (NDU) on 24 February last year. Knowing there would be a lot of water-based exercises, I dreaded for the day to come, as I was not proficient in water. Not to mention I was not fit at all, I told myself that having an open-mind and accepting whatever comes my way was the best way to tackle the two years of uncertainty. Fast-forward 6 months later, I graduated from the Combat Divers Course (CDC) and currently an Operations Diver, I felt that IB and the course itself had many things in common. Both requires much effort, time and most importantly resilience. During the notorious Hellweek, where divers-tobe are put to 5 days of physical exertion and torment, I often question why I was there in the first place. “Life wouldn’t be interesting if not for challenges faced”, as I slug around with a 140kg boat on my head. These two journeys have showed me that we should venture into the unknown with our uncompromising excellence.
Photos from The Straits Times
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Photos from Naval Diving Unit
Photo by Ricardo Seah
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ALUMNI REUNION GRILL AND CHILL
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28 JULY 2018
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CONNECT WITH US
connect.sji-international.com.sg
We have just launched our newest community portal – Connect – where you can network with friends, share stories, register for events, and be in the know of the latest community news and updates. Like other networking sites, you can message your friends, post stories and contribute articles if you are venturing into something new and would like to share it with the community. In the portal you can also buy official SJI International merchandise and give back by making a gift to our Scholarship and Building Funds. Moving forward, we will utilise the portal to build a Careers page where you can explore job opportunities, find industry-specific mentors within our network and where you can volunteer to help as well. Register now to stay connected! @sjiinternational SJI International Alumni https://www.linkedin.com/ school/13328877/alumni
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