Goodbye 2009 and Hello 2010

It's time of the year whereby we gather with our family and friends to catch up with one another, spend the festive holidays together and for some, it might just be going for good year-end sales, taking a good holiday abroad.

December 31 marks the end of the year and we are probably thinking about how we are going to celebrate the night, what we are having for dinner, who we are going to meet and where to catch the best view of the fireworks with our latest DSLR or where to get the best iPhone deal.

So what does the last day of the year mean to you? Perhaps it's a time to reflect on what had been done for this year, what have you achieved this year, what nice/not nice things you did? Not just academically but the mental and emotional aspect too.

Anything that you need to make amend before the year ends? Just like the usual Chinese New Year's saying goes "Do not owe $$ before the Chinese New Year starts else it's bad luck".

Is there anything that you want to settle before the year ends? Anyone you want to say 'Thank You' or 'Sorry' to?

If you had not done so, it's a good time and opportunity to close the chapter and move on. Of course, one should not drag till end of the year to settle such issues - but if you had not done so, it's a great opportunity to reflect and act on it.

It is also a time to COUNT OUR BLESSINGS. It might be a good or not too good year but there are always good things to count on. Look at the year and set resolutions for the new year so that at the end of 2010, you can look back and see how you have "grown".

So to 2009, we'll say Goodbye and to 2010, a warm Hello. May your dreams come true in 2010 as you set yourself thinking and acting on it cos dreams don't just happen overnight. The hard work you put in, you'll receive your due rewards.

National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA)

NYAA is an exciting personal challenge to young people between the ages of 14 and 25. It is a balanced programme of activities designed to equip youth with personal qualities and skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and their world.

Three of our MIT graduates, Eugene Tay, Kenken Lim & Elynn Pang were awarded the National Youth Achievement Gold Award (NYAA) on 2 Oct at the 9th NYAA Gold Award Ceremony 2009, which was graced by His Excellency President SR Nathan.

When asked for his feelings on achieving NYAA Gold Award, Eugene replied, "I'm pretty proud to have attained the NYAA award because I have challenged myself so much in this program and finally managed to complete it. It is definitely an honour to be able to receive the award from President S R Nathan. Completing the NYAA Program is a milestone in my life and the journey will definitely not end here. I am now a member of the NYAA Gold Award Holders’ Alumni (GAHA) and I hope that I will continue to be able to serve the community in many ways. It has been a memorable experience for me and the lessons I learned have been invaluable."

And how did he sum up the 3 years that he had with MIT @ NYP? "All in all, my 3 years in MIT and NYP have indeed been very fruitful from all angles. I built good and lasting friendships which I will treasure throughout the rest of my life."

As for Kenken, who took up the challenge to build her leadership qualities. She has discovered many more valuable skills in the process and has experienced much since. To her, she has now become more confident, mature in handling problems and crafting solutions for difficult situations. She is now much more aware of her strengths and weakness, hence, allowing her to work on her weakness to improve it. She added "This is not the end of the award, but the beginning of a lifelong learning process."

Excuse Me, Are You A Scholar?

Do you have:

* Outstanding ‘O’ level student?
* Good CCA record?
* No other scholarships?

If yes, check out the NYP Scholarship: http://www.nyp.edu.sg/nypscholarship.html