My name is Tao Yixiang and my friends call me Jacob. Prior to coming over to Singapore, I was very surprised when my parents told me they had decided to let me study abroad. On the day of my first flight to Singapore, my father told me this at the departure hall in the airport: “Son, I never buy you luxurious shoes and clothes and I do not have big amounts of money for you. The best thing I can provide for you is education, and you can use it for your whole entire life.”

My father’s words gave me courage and confidence and they guided the decisions I made in my life.

As an international student from China, I joined SIM-CNN (SIM Chinese National Network), and there, my story started. I was appointed as CNN President in 2014. Through the journey as a President, I gained a lot from my experiences, such as leadership skills, teamwork, and networking. Initially, my EXCO team was not as confident and active as I expected us to be. Recruitment and organizing club events were always a huge challenge for us. I applied the concepts and methods from marketing and human resource to raise club awareness, promote events and motivate my team. In the end, we managed to recruit more than 500 members that year and successfully conducted acclaimed school events. After my term of service as the SIM-CNN President, i volunteered my  help in the various departments in SIM GE – Student Development, Student Recruitment and International Recruitment.

All in all, my student life in SIM GE was not purely based on gaining academic knowledge but it had also involved many hands-on learning experiences beyond the classroom. I believe my father was right because these are the lessons that have impacted me most thus far and will definitely be staying with me for my entire life.

WHEN YOU are selected to be a student leader at SIM, you will have the chance to take part in many activities from rowing dragon boats to walking the sky. You develop skills in leadership and teamwork during these events.

Laura Thiri Shwe says she was terrified of swinging ropes and falling from heights but she overcame her fears to walk suspended between sky and earth. It gave her a sense of freedom when she did it.

Edmund Ho Hao Yang from Malaysia rowed his first dragon boat under a burning sun. He rowed and rowed until his muscles couldn’t tahan (endure) any longer when he was hit with the life-changing revelation that “if you wanna go fast, go alone, but if you wanna go far, go as a team”. (As we know, a dragon boat doesn’t go fast or far if there’s only one paddler.)

I enrolled into SIM Global Education with determination to further my studies. It is also my dream to experience campus life at a tertiary level. Being a netball player for almost 10 years, the idea of attending lectures and ‘hiding’ in the library after classes instead of being engaged in competitive training and tournaments was exhilarating – it became my goal to embrace all that SIM had to offer.

It was that decision that resulted in ‘fishballs’ entering my life!

(Editor’s note: To those who may not be familiar with what’s fishball, it is a savory dish that comprises fish meat and flour blended together then served in tiny spherical shape)

Malaysian Community in SIM or MCSIM for short, often organises bonding events such as sports leagues and charity events. In every meal functions held, we would always be served fish ball.

I really loved what I do in MCSIM and I could say, ‘fishballs’ gave me a new experience in life.

My greatest moment was attending the Student Leaders Award and Appreciation Night (SLAAN) in 2016.
Though I was presented the HELM award, it was the privilege of seeing 19 out of 112 recipients from my team receiving awards that moved me deeply. It was truly gratifying for me to see growth in all our lives –  I saw how our journey had made an impact and contributed in growing us into better people. That desire to contribute to others also led me to serve as peer mentor, which aptly expresses what I believe in life in its motto –  care, share, grow!

After serving in MCSIM for 3 years, I focused more on graduating with an RMIT degree majoring in Economics and Finance. However, I found myself accepting an offer to continue being involved with CCAs as one of the Student Involvement Representatives (SIR) in the Student involvement Centre. In my role, I had the chance to work closely with staff from SDEV. Our aim is to get students involved in CCAs, organise campus-wide events, as well as serve to push forward development programs for students. Being an SIR gave me the chance to organize SIM’s largest collaboration event, the SIM International Student Night, for the 4^th consecutive year. My 1095 days in SIM was filled with friendships, wonderful memories and fruitful experiences that have painted my student life colourful. I am proud to be able to share it with the whole universe!