Thin Yadanar (Carolyn) from Northland Secondary School is a cohort three Fellow from the 2024 National Young Leaders Fellowship (NYLF). In this article, she recounts the programme’s five-day induction week and the insights she had absorbed in the beginning of this nine-month journey, of which she will be embarking on alongside 39 other Fellows. Her perspective on leadership evolved to embrace adaptability, open-mindedness, and leveraging the community for support when striving to create tangible impact.

Key Takeaways:

1. During learning experiences, one of the best ways to learn is to absorb, much like a sponge. 
2. Human beings can share similar experiences and challenges, despite having cultural differences or living worlds apart.
3. The time is now, take action on your ideas – don’t wait for things to happen!

Read on to learn more about her initial thoughts on this programme as a Fellow.

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Being a Sponge for a Week

If I had to describe my NYLF induction week experience using an object, it would be a sponge! Although five days seemed short, the amount of lessons and insights I absorbed felt intense. Just like a sponge expands as it soaks up water, each day of the week expanded my understanding of leading communities. During this brief yet immersive induction week, I had a wonderful time meeting exceptionally capable young leaders from Singapore and the ASEAN region – through conversations during ice breaker sessions, learning journeys, and inspiring discussions with panellists and established leaders across various industries.

As a Leader, The “Best” Decision Doesn’t Exist

Out of all learning journeys throughout the week, the one that stuck with me most was Geylang Adventures, which taught me the basics of addressing community needs in Singapore. On day two, we had the chance to explore the Geylang neighbourhood. Led by Mr. Yinzhou, a friendly and insightful guide, it was a mind blowing experience, as it changed my entire perception of Singapore’s “crime-free” image. I was shocked to witness controlled substances being sold openly in broad daylight, and to see evidence of it being discarded in back alleys as well. This was particularly jarring, as I had always thought of Singapore as a country with a strong legal system that would not condone the sale of such vices. However, I later learnt that this was part of a containment strategy. The reason why the government allows red-light districts and the sale of controlled substances in Geylang, is to prevent these very activities from spreading to the rest of Singapore. 

Through this experience, I learned the importance of trade-offs in managing a team, and how every policy decision has to be made with careful consideration. It made me realise that sometimes there really is no “best decision,” and as leaders, it is our responsibility to decide what we should risk, for the benefit of the majority with the minority in mind. If there were two key takeaways I had to surmise from the experience, it would be to refrain from making judgments on situations or people based on initial appearances, as there can be deeper reasons behind each of their actions – and to think about the long term effects of every decision made in a project. Overall, it was an eye-opening lesson on the complexities of governance, and the realities that often lie beneath the surface of seemingly strict regulations. 

We’re Not So Different, After All

Another thing that stood out to me during induction week was the unique opportunity to connect with fellows from across the ASEAN region. The exchange of ideas, cultural learning, and forging of lasting friendships were invaluable. During the short break after the Q&A segment with Ms. Jane Ittogi, I found myself in a casual chat with other fellows from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, discussing English literacy education in our countries. One Fellow shared her struggle with recruiting mentees for her tutoring initiative in her country, Vietnam, which sparked an unexpectedly candid and heartfelt discussion amongst us. While other fellows eagerly brainstormed ideas for her, it hit me that despite living worlds apart, we shared common challenges and experiences. It was heartening to witness the group openly discussing the struggles of working on their respective passion projects, with each person contributing their own experiences and learning from one another’s mistakes. In that instance, I understood that while our fleeting human lifespan may not allow us the time to make and learn from a billion mistakes, we can glean wisdom from those countless errors by sharing our experiences with one another! Moving forward, this conversation definitely made me more keen to leverage on my network, and draw from the diverse experiences of others to help further enhance my future projects.

I Can Afford to Fail Comfortably 

Adding on to the learning journeys and meaningful conversations, I also found words of the panellists we met during the programme to be profoundly impactful. One of the most memorable pieces of advice came from Ms Saleemah Ismail, who reminded us that if we have an idea, we should start now, rather than wait. She emphasised that being young means we have little to lose – and that even if we fail, we can gain valuable lessons from the experience. This made me wonder how many young people’s great ideas might be suppressed, simply because they feel too inexperienced, or incapable of making a change. If these ideas were expressed openly with confidence instead of staying hidden in their minds, could we possibly be living in a different society now? It taught me that as young people, we should view our youthfulness as a strength, rather than a weakness. Being young gives us the time and freedom to make mistakes and grow from them, and we should leverage the opportunity to our best of our advantage. 

Overall, the NYLF Induction Week has completely transformed my perspective on leadership and community work, and has taught me to understand things on a deeper level. I learnt that certain reasonings may appear flawless on paper, but may not necessarily work in real life. Therefore, moving forward, I strive to be more adaptable, have an open mind, and approach each challenge with a slightly more nuanced perspective. Additionally, I look forward to keeping in touch with the amazing fellows I have met on this journey, to leverage the power of community, and create meaningful impact in our society. 

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Learn more about the National Young Leaders Fellowship at halogen.sg/mentorship-incubation/nylf.