Xinyue Zhang (Cindy), Grade 11
UWCSEA Singapore (Dover)
“Ding -” The oven timer went off as the clock struck 10. I yawned, getting up to take out my tray of freshly-baked gingerbread men. The soft smell of butter and sugar rushed to fill the house as my mittened hand pulled open the oven door. 12 pale-yellow gingerbread men looked up at me from the metal tray, identical in size and shape, with 3 chocolate chips placed down the middle of their body.
“How many more?” my mom asked, leaning on the door frame.
“Should be done with two more batches,” I glanced back at the fridge.
By this point, my parents had already gotten used to hearing the oven timer going off late at night. It wasn’t the first time I had baked in big batches on a school day - every once in a while at UWCSEA, student-led service groups called Global Concerns (GCs) host bake sales to fundraise for their respective projects. Ask any student on campus, and they are most likely involved in a GC. Essentially, GCs are linked to overseas partners and as students, we do what we can to come up with solutions and contribute to creating a change. The partner organizations come in a huge variety, from foster homes to eco-friendly projects; from mobile libraries to LGBTQ+ focus groups; within the GC program, you are guaranteed to find a project that touches your heart.
For me personally, it was the Himalayan GC which supports a local school in Nepal to provide quality, free education to Sherpa children - an underprovided and neglected ethnicity in Nepal. With the education they receive, these children will have the tools to achieve their dreams and break through the poverty that their families have been trapped in for generations. Over the course of 3 years, we work towards our grand goal of raising $15,000 SGD to sponsor the school with their initiative.
As an avid baker and the current chair of the Himalayan GC, I am always the most passionate one to organize the menu for our bake sales. This time, in line with the Christmas celebrations, Mayu, my co-chair, and I have volunteered to bake and decorate 84 gingerbread men, which were expected to sell very well with younger kids.
“Ding -” I pulled out the metal tray as the oven timer went off for the last time tonight. Turning off the lights in the house, I thought about my next steps and the exciting selling day that waited ahead.
Excused 5 minutes early from my first class, Mayu and I dashed downstairs to the Plaza Tent to set up our GC stall. We had the prime selling spot at school, with its location convenient and accessible to all buildings and departments. We laid cookies, brownies, lemon bars, and of course, the gingerbread men, neatly across a traditional Nepali tablecloth, just in time before the primary school break started.
“Ready?”
“Let’s do this.”
“Cookies, brownies, gingerbread men!” we shouted as we excitedly shook our bell, “One to two dollars!”
The chiming of the bell soon attracted attention. Our money box began to fill up with 2-dollar notes and coins as we handed out pieces of baked goods. Two people were not enough; a queue formed as customers waited for their turn. We were as busy as bees, taking in payments and giving out change, but luckily other members showed up. They slipped on gloves and rang the bell, quick to pick up their roles and help out. We stepped aside, enjoying the breeze and the break after bustling all around. The brief periods with fewer customers were quickly replaced by new waves of students. Middle school and high school students joined the initial crowd of primary school kids and later, even the faculty came. Those reluctant to purchase anything at first became convinced by their peers, and some returned for seconds. Needless to say, our business was going strong. And what was even better was that my gingerbread men were selling out FAST.
“Can’t say no to a good cause,” people grinned, “plus, these are delicious.”
As much as we wanted to extend our selling time, the break was coming to an end. In the last half of a minute, we started to pack away the boxes and clean the area, cheerful and ready to come back and keep up the good work at lunchtime.
The third period finished and we rushed downstairs once again. But wait. Our stall was occupied. By a lemonade-selling group. Confused, Mayu and I marched up to them, prepared to reclaim our spot. They seemed surprised to see us approaching and after a quick conversation, it was clear that the venue was double-booked. Looking at their drink machines all set up, cups laid across the table with no intention to leave, we had no choice but to retreat and give in.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“Well, looks like the only option left is to walk around the school and sell what’s left,” Mayu shrugged.
And with that, we dispatched our GC members with the remaining goods and were off selling to different areas of the school. Up the stairs, down the hallways, across the sports field, in front of the library. Knocked on office doors, interrupted passers-by, advertised a great deal, and convinced some to open their wallets. 40 minutes later, we returned to the original meeting spot, and somehow everyone had managed to bring back handfuls of cash and empty containers. Excitedly, we counted the money. When I announced the final revenue of the day, everyone’s face lit up, knowing that every dollar came from our hard work and determination.
As chairs of the GC, we couldn’t have been prouder. Working together as a team that day made us realize the power of collaboration. What we raised may not have been much – in fact, all of what we do may never be much; but as a group of 15 people, we know that we are doing what we can to change someone else’s life.
“How many more?” my mom asked, leaning on the door frame.
“Should be done with two more batches,” I glanced back at the fridge.
By this point, my parents had already gotten used to hearing the oven timer going off late at night. It wasn’t the first time I had baked in big batches on a school day - every once in a while at UWCSEA, student-led service groups called Global Concerns (GCs) host bake sales to fundraise for their respective projects. Ask any student on campus, and they are most likely involved in a GC. Essentially, GCs are linked to overseas partners and as students, we do what we can to come up with solutions and contribute to creating a change. The partner organizations come in a huge variety, from foster homes to eco-friendly projects; from mobile libraries to LGBTQ+ focus groups; within the GC program, you are guaranteed to find a project that touches your heart.
For me personally, it was the Himalayan GC which supports a local school in Nepal to provide quality, free education to Sherpa children - an underprovided and neglected ethnicity in Nepal. With the education they receive, these children will have the tools to achieve their dreams and break through the poverty that their families have been trapped in for generations. Over the course of 3 years, we work towards our grand goal of raising $15,000 SGD to sponsor the school with their initiative.
As an avid baker and the current chair of the Himalayan GC, I am always the most passionate one to organize the menu for our bake sales. This time, in line with the Christmas celebrations, Mayu, my co-chair, and I have volunteered to bake and decorate 84 gingerbread men, which were expected to sell very well with younger kids.
“Ding -” I pulled out the metal tray as the oven timer went off for the last time tonight. Turning off the lights in the house, I thought about my next steps and the exciting selling day that waited ahead.
Excused 5 minutes early from my first class, Mayu and I dashed downstairs to the Plaza Tent to set up our GC stall. We had the prime selling spot at school, with its location convenient and accessible to all buildings and departments. We laid cookies, brownies, lemon bars, and of course, the gingerbread men, neatly across a traditional Nepali tablecloth, just in time before the primary school break started.
“Ready?”
“Let’s do this.”
“Cookies, brownies, gingerbread men!” we shouted as we excitedly shook our bell, “One to two dollars!”
The chiming of the bell soon attracted attention. Our money box began to fill up with 2-dollar notes and coins as we handed out pieces of baked goods. Two people were not enough; a queue formed as customers waited for their turn. We were as busy as bees, taking in payments and giving out change, but luckily other members showed up. They slipped on gloves and rang the bell, quick to pick up their roles and help out. We stepped aside, enjoying the breeze and the break after bustling all around. The brief periods with fewer customers were quickly replaced by new waves of students. Middle school and high school students joined the initial crowd of primary school kids and later, even the faculty came. Those reluctant to purchase anything at first became convinced by their peers, and some returned for seconds. Needless to say, our business was going strong. And what was even better was that my gingerbread men were selling out FAST.
“Can’t say no to a good cause,” people grinned, “plus, these are delicious.”
As much as we wanted to extend our selling time, the break was coming to an end. In the last half of a minute, we started to pack away the boxes and clean the area, cheerful and ready to come back and keep up the good work at lunchtime.
The third period finished and we rushed downstairs once again. But wait. Our stall was occupied. By a lemonade-selling group. Confused, Mayu and I marched up to them, prepared to reclaim our spot. They seemed surprised to see us approaching and after a quick conversation, it was clear that the venue was double-booked. Looking at their drink machines all set up, cups laid across the table with no intention to leave, we had no choice but to retreat and give in.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“Well, looks like the only option left is to walk around the school and sell what’s left,” Mayu shrugged.
And with that, we dispatched our GC members with the remaining goods and were off selling to different areas of the school. Up the stairs, down the hallways, across the sports field, in front of the library. Knocked on office doors, interrupted passers-by, advertised a great deal, and convinced some to open their wallets. 40 minutes later, we returned to the original meeting spot, and somehow everyone had managed to bring back handfuls of cash and empty containers. Excitedly, we counted the money. When I announced the final revenue of the day, everyone’s face lit up, knowing that every dollar came from our hard work and determination.
As chairs of the GC, we couldn’t have been prouder. Working together as a team that day made us realize the power of collaboration. What we raised may not have been much – in fact, all of what we do may never be much; but as a group of 15 people, we know that we are doing what we can to change someone else’s life.
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