Reflections of a student leader

The mantle of student leadership is a heavy one. Nevertheless, Richmond SIN has taken it in his stride as President of the 42nd Management Committee, NUS Students’ Science Club.

Richmond, who is also part of the inaugural College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) cohort, is reading Data Science and Analytics.

His journey as a student leader has not been a smooth-sailing one, but he has risen to the challenges. Here, he shares his candid thoughts and takeaways from his journey so far.

What were some of the challenges you faced?

My journey has been filled with challenges, especially with COVID-19 restrictions. For example, the planning of the annual Valentine’s Day carnival, an event which usually takes a month’s worth of planning, now took four months instead as we had to work around pandemic restrictions to ensure the safety of participants.

As a Year 1 student, I also had a fair share of doubts on my ability to fill the shoes, and carry on the legacy that has been passed down from previous Presidents.

How did you surmount these challenges?

The uncertainties and doubts motivated me to work harder. And with the support of the Science Club Management Committee (SCMC), we not only successfully executed our first large-scale physical carnival, but we even initiated new events and redefined traditional events for Science students. These moments and the smiles on students’ faces fill me with pride and make it all worthwhile.

What are your plans as President?

I would like to make Science a safe and inclusive place for all our students to learn, do what they love and live their dreams! I hope to have more vibrant activities during my tenure, redefine our values of Vibrancy, Welfare and Outreach, and bring back the traditions that were lost over the past two years during the pandemic.