Since I departed from YYGS, I started working on a project that me and my older brother shared. In 2018, we made a game in twenty-four hours called “Shamen” for Game Jam Georgia and we won first place. My brother’s major is computer science and he’s in charge of the programming aspect of our two-man team. Accordingly, I’m responsible for the design and artistic aspect of the game.
One month ago, I applied for an internship position at Heritage Frederick. Heritage Frederick is the historical organization within my county. They have their own museum and they also hold the county’s archives which researchers from all over the world use. After coming back from YYGS, I had an interview and I then received the wonderful news that I had been accepted.
Just prior to arriving at YYGS, I had been elected president of the Student Government Association at my school, and initially, it made me feel fantastic. My fellow students trusted me to make changes in my school, and I was willing to do everything I could to do just that. As the summer passed by, however, the list of demands grew, and the solutions I had constructed for the seemingly easy problems presented before me fell through or seemed like they were going to.
I was recently approved for an internship at Cedae, a company which provides clean water and sewage treatment for the whole state of Rio de Janeiro. Being an intern for 400 hours is mandatory, so I can graduate from my high school as a technician. However, taking this initiative in junior year was optional. After receiving a recommendation from a friend, I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste.
Last year, I came up with the idea for Gifting For Thrifting. Gifting For Thrifting is a corporation that my best friend, Alaina Frazier, and I began that aims to make a difference in our community and the surrounding area. We collect clothing donations from friends, neighbors, and schools near us, and we hold pop-up thrift stores, where anyone can come and shop for free!
During this program, I loved discovering a unique setting with incredible diversity of people and backgrounds. I learned to broaden my perspective and my thorough understanding of the world. Cooperating with people from all around the globe was truly uplifting, not only culturally but also intellectually, as I explored new paths to Science.
I am launching a project aimed at providing Malaysian youths, especially those from underprivileged communities, better access to training in soft skills and youth programs (like conferences and competitions). There has always been a discrepancy in Malaysia where scholarships meant to benefit those in the lower-income bracket end up being awarded to those in the higher income bracket.
Through the seminars and lectures led by world-renowned professors and capstone projects created by various students during the program, I gained knowledge that I wouldn’t have learned in my normal coursework. One of the most valuable lessons came from my capstone instructors, who said to start from the bottom and learn the material as a team when I was assigned an unfamiliar topic for my project.
The experience of YYGS impacted me so much that I started to see things differently. I realized that we must take action in order to make the world a better place irrespective of our age. I therefore addressed the school assembly about the merits of YYGS, gave more of my time to help other senior students with their university applications, and encouraged people to apply colleges such as Yale and Yale-NUS. Being an unofficial YYGS ambassador is my way of giving back to the community that supported me; both at home and at Yale.
