[AIESEC] The Change

Hey readers.

This is my second post for AIESEC's National Recruitment Blog Campaign. This time the theme is 'The Change'.

Theme: The Change

Having been in AIESEC since August 2009, I have see tremendous growth in myself. When I first join AIESEC, I was a person who had the ability to speak out but lack the confidence as well as other soft skills. I was also shy as well and I just wanted to break out of my comfort zone and be a better person than I was before. At times, it was not easy to make those changes and I nearly could have gave it up and remain the same person. However, I chose not to and decide to go through it.

There have been a few events and/or turning points that have change me from a student with very little confidence to a person who is now able to go out there and speak to strangers, give presentations to a large number of people and providing guidance to people who want to make a change in themselves.

One of those life events was being out of AIESEC for a year due to medical reasons. I was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia just a month into my term as the Vice President (VP) of Finance and Administration 2010/2011. It was one of the most difficult moments in my life and not being involved in AIESEC was difficult to take. I had to focus on getting well again and see how things progress.

I resume back my studies in February 2011 and attended a few AIESEC events and gatherings, reconnect back with the ones I knew when I first joined AIESEC and getting to know the ones who have recently joined AIESEC. In April/May, a friend, who was then part of the current Executive Board ask me this question: when will you be back in AIESEC? I told him most likely in January 2012 as I wanted to focus on my studies and most importantly my health. He ask me why not July 2012 and face the possible fact that I might not be remembered that I was once a VP in AIESEC should I rejoined 6 months later. It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make and on 1 July 2012, which at that time was AIESEC Taylor's Award Night, I announce my decision to officially return back to AIESEC. I return because of the people whom I knew and believe that I could make changes to myself in order to be a better person.

Another turning point in my AIESEC career is my first AIESEC conference. It was just a 3 months into my comeback from AIESEC (will explain that part in a bit) and I just did not have the drive to well. I also had to deal with the setback of not being selected as the Organising Committee President/Project Manager of Raising Awareness with Reaction (RAwR). I was questioning myself: Did I made the right choice to comeback to AIESEC? Did I actually have the determination to make myself a better person? Was I actually that good? I persevered and things were a little bit better by the time RLDS came and the rest was history.

I became a more confident person after that. Was performing very well in Project Management in which my teammates and I managed to get PT Foundation as our learning partner for Raising Awareness with Reaction and Rumah Shahlom as a partner under the TOMORROW Children Development Project. These efforts were rewarded during Local Committee Meeting, where each department share their updates for the past few months. I was awarded the Best Performing Member of Project Management.

The blue envelope which states "Best Performing Member of Project Management".

Apart from that, I was appointed the Manager of Finance and Administration for the remainder of the term and was the Chief Delegate of the Malaysian Leadership Development Seminar (MyLDS) before I was ruled out of the conference due to dengue fever. At that point, as I was gaining more confident since RLDS, I became overconfident which actually intimidated people. This phrase was mentioned during a feedback session and I had to make some adjustments to myself in order to be in a way confident yet it does not intimidate or affect the people around me.

As the months went by and when it came to another feedback session during a conference between the senior members, the ones that I received in January and the ones in May were different. These feedback show how much I have improved within those few months and it show that I was on the right path to success. On 30th June 2012 at 7pm, it was the AIESEC Taylor's Award and Alumni Night which recognises the performance of members throughout the term. On that night, I was awarded 2 awards, Most Performing Member of Strategic Initiatives and AIESECer of the Year. I did not expect to get one let alone two awards. These awards are just the icing on the cake on my long yet rewarding journey in AIESEC. To comeback from a very difficult moment, making those changes and sacrifices along the way and to top it off with these awards, is just unbelievable. I could not have done it without the support of my teammates and AIESECers who have been with me through good and bad times.

The awards.

The main turning point was actually joining AIESEC. In fact I would not have joined AIESEC had I actually change university. At that time, I have just completed Business Foundation in Taylor's and was contemplating which university to go to: remain in Taylor's or go to Metropolitan College. Had I chose Metropolitan over Taylor's, I would not have known about AIESEC and be who I am today.

That's it from me. I shall end this post with a quote and a collage of myself from 2009 to present. Hope you gain something from this post. Till then, have a nice day. =)

The change in me: 2009 to 2012 (Present)

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living" - Gail Sheehy.