Mikaela Sicat, Alumni - Class of 2021
UWCSEA (East)
What I remember most about my time at East Campus at UWC South East Asia was the way the campus building suddenly appeared from behind the trees and surrounding buildings as you drove down the road towards the school. To me it symbolised the fact that UWC was special - as if we were doing something in its halls and classrooms which seemed important and worthwhile.
Next, you get out of the bus, car, taxi, bicycle, cross the road, or however you chose to journey to school that day, check in with the TraceTogether App (in the times of COVID) - and see right in front of you the huge metal globe in the middle of the tented plaza. To me it was a reminder that contrary to being right in the center of the Tampines region in Singapore, we were only one piece of the UWC movement trying to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” The subsequent markings on the floor stating how far we were in nautical miles from every other country in the world next to the globe was a reminder that we were there to undergo a process that involved “open[ing our] eyes, open[ing our] minds, open[ing our] hearts” (see what I did there?). And then you see the giant map situated just inside the two glass doors inside A Block - a symbol depicting the millions of other people embarking on the same journey as us from miles from each direction around the globe.
Then you have the freezing cold classrooms where you are not able to turn off the AC no matter how hard you try and you and your friends just have to be content sitting there freezing as if you were inside an igloo…
But most of my memories of school at UWC was of my friends who I had break times and lunches with - the same people you are seated with during graduation and the same people who you applaud as they walk across the stage as they receive their high school diplomas. I miss the conversations about class - what they found interesting or rather dull, or complaining together about which teachers gave the most homework, or which teacher gave unnecessarily harsh feedback on your EE’s or IA’s or the ones who gave unhelpful feedback or none at all!
However the teachers (for me these teachers were Anna Parr, Kathy Wallace, and Kate Levy who helped me get through 2 years - and 4 years of high school respectively) who do manage to strike a cord with us, I find are the ones who not only are passionate about the subject area(s) that they teach, but also find a way to entourage, nurture and inspire you to get over your 8 am grogginess and sit there rapt with attention as they give you life advice that I am sure will carry me in the future.
Special mention must go to Anna Parr who gave me the knowledge, tools and motivation in our theatre lessons and occasional one-on-ones that allowed me to pursue the path in theatre that I want to take, so from the bottom of my heart, you have my deepest thanks.
Next, you get out of the bus, car, taxi, bicycle, cross the road, or however you chose to journey to school that day, check in with the TraceTogether App (in the times of COVID) - and see right in front of you the huge metal globe in the middle of the tented plaza. To me it was a reminder that contrary to being right in the center of the Tampines region in Singapore, we were only one piece of the UWC movement trying to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” The subsequent markings on the floor stating how far we were in nautical miles from every other country in the world next to the globe was a reminder that we were there to undergo a process that involved “open[ing our] eyes, open[ing our] minds, open[ing our] hearts” (see what I did there?). And then you see the giant map situated just inside the two glass doors inside A Block - a symbol depicting the millions of other people embarking on the same journey as us from miles from each direction around the globe.
Then you have the freezing cold classrooms where you are not able to turn off the AC no matter how hard you try and you and your friends just have to be content sitting there freezing as if you were inside an igloo…
But most of my memories of school at UWC was of my friends who I had break times and lunches with - the same people you are seated with during graduation and the same people who you applaud as they walk across the stage as they receive their high school diplomas. I miss the conversations about class - what they found interesting or rather dull, or complaining together about which teachers gave the most homework, or which teacher gave unnecessarily harsh feedback on your EE’s or IA’s or the ones who gave unhelpful feedback or none at all!
However the teachers (for me these teachers were Anna Parr, Kathy Wallace, and Kate Levy who helped me get through 2 years - and 4 years of high school respectively) who do manage to strike a cord with us, I find are the ones who not only are passionate about the subject area(s) that they teach, but also find a way to entourage, nurture and inspire you to get over your 8 am grogginess and sit there rapt with attention as they give you life advice that I am sure will carry me in the future.
Special mention must go to Anna Parr who gave me the knowledge, tools and motivation in our theatre lessons and occasional one-on-ones that allowed me to pursue the path in theatre that I want to take, so from the bottom of my heart, you have my deepest thanks.
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