ThinkSeries Leaders' Sharing

Annis Chan, St. Paul's Secondary School

It is a dream indeed. If I recall from the day of my interview till this moment, I can simply tell that I feel blessed to be one of the members of the 2011 ThinkSeries family!

The leadership trainings were exhausting, yet memorable. It was an experience that can never be forgotten in my life. For four consecutive months, I rushed to the office right after school for meetings, worked on the assigned tasks after meetings, constantly checked the booming mailbox, made numerous phone calls to different companies and people, etc. These were some of the countless duties! However, seeing all leaders working diligently on the project, I ended up having a few sleepless nights even the day before ceremony. Eventually when what we planned and prepared was all put into practice and reality, at last, our efforts certainly paid off!

I enjoyed a lot during the whole process. A big thank you to all my fellow leaders! You are such great comrades! Three months ago, we were still strangers to each other. Various tasks and duties gradually bonded us together into now an ever-lasting friendship. Without all their patience and tolerance, I would not have been able to organise this event and have such wonderful memories. Furthermore, I would also like to make my most sincere thank you to the guest speakers who held the cordial lessons as well as all the Wiseman Office staff who gave us an unfailing and constant support. I believe we all grew up into mature leaders together!

ThinkSeries Leadership Programme 2011 will definitely be a remarkable milestone in my life and an awesome time before heading to my DSE examinations in the future!

Glenda Chan, Diocesan Girls' School

One of the famous quotes from Walt Disney goes, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Never did I truly understand the meaning of this sentence until the moment the ThinkSeries Awards Ceremony successfully ended.

Around four months ago, we were all given this seemingly impossible task – to be fully responsible for the whole ceremony, not to mention from publishing press releases, designing the entire rundown to hanging up banners and backdrops and dealing with logistics on the actual day. I never imagined how things would work out with endless deadlines to be met and essays and draft plans to be finished. Nonetheless, it seemed that I had just underestimated our potentials and abilities. In fact, I was unspeakably proud when our collective efforts emerged and our hard work paid off.

Being a part of ThinkSeries Leadership Programme has definitely been a rewarding experience for me! Despite having my email constantly bombarded and spending hours in Wiseman Education’s office, I learned a lot through attending the training sessions and organizing the ceremony. This programme has equipped me with management and leadership skills as well as provided me with an opportunity to put them into practice. Last but not least, I earned lifelong friendships with other fellow leaders and I will never forget those precious memories in the past few months. Thank you my team partners, new friends and dreamers. I am more than grateful to have you all.

Thus, from now on, go ahead, dream the impossible dream and make it come true! (:

Raine Chang, Pope Paul VI College

The last night before the morning of the actual big day of the ThinkSeries Awards Ceremony, neither tension nor excitement left us!

Months ago, I thought the eighteen of us were simply given the most impossible mission. Being a green hand in organizing a ceremony, I had no idea how and where to start from. But fortunately, thanks to the Wiseman staff and the other leaders, who always stood beside and accompanied us all along, it gave the strength to carry on even when I was stuck. We began as a group of strangers initially, but as time went by, we gradually became a big close-knit family. You are all brilliant people and I am amazed by how the chemistry we brought within us made the ceremony a successful one!

The trainings we have gone through, moments of laughter that we have shared and the challenges that we have encountered and come across not only made us stronger and more prepared to face the reality, but it will surly make me proud and happy when I look back at those times. I am proud to be one of the ThinkSeries leaders 2011!

ThinkSeries Leadership Program has also convinced me that dreams are not impossible. To dream big and high is nothing wrong at all. The program may not bring each of us to reach our dreams, but it definitely did bring us closer to them.

“You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one.”

Johnny Chu, Queen's College Old Boys' Association Secondary School

Six months ago, I went to the interview for selection into this workshop. Being convinced that I could barely have a chance to be selected, I did not hold much hope on it. I regarded it as a mission impossible. However, to my surprise, I actually got admitted to ThinkSeries Leadership Programme. And that’s when a new chapter of my life started!

In the beginning, we, the ThinkSeries Leaders 2011, were told that we would have to organize an awards ceremony. To be honest, I again thought that it was a ridiculously impossible mission. After all, we were just a group of students! How could we be capable of holding such a big event? I kept thinking this way until we actually survived after the ceremony. Yes, indeed WE MADE IT! From the selection interview to the ceremony, we all managed to get through and accomplish the mission together!

The Programme now finally comes to an end. But the newly started chapter of my life has not ended yet. With the experience gained and the skills learnt here, I believe my future will be brightened!

I would also like to take this chance to thank all the trainers, Wiseman staff and my fellow leaders. Without all their efforts, the ceremony wouldn’t be held so successfully. Lastly, I sincerely hope that our friendship will last forever. Wish you all a bright future!

Ruby Lai, True Light Middle School of HK

The journey which seemed to have ended in fact has just started. What I gained is not only the plaque but also the courage to face difficulties and treasure valuable friendships. In life, we have to learn to survive and find its sweeter side ourselves because life is going to be tough all the times. Similarly, we managed to get through the hectic deadlines to be met and constant emails bombarding our inbox. Matters did go wrong once-in-a-while but we solved them immediately and effectively. We were allowed to fail which is very essential in the process of learning. We learnt how to fail and cope with failure! Everything had to be done and handled by ourselves without any supervision or orders given by the heads. This made the experience even more precious and interesting. All these challenges inspired us and gave us a chance to show our potentials. And this officially made us the leaders of ThinkSeries Leadership Programme 2011! It was indeed an unforgettable, incredible and indispensable experience of my life.

This year’s ceremony might not have been the best of all these years but it was definitely the best we delivered! We have successfully made our dreams come true and our efforts are rewarding, too!

Meolody Lo, PLK Laws Foundation College

After months of preparations, we finally did it! I realized that this programme was no ordinary one! It’s more of an event-organizing programme, which requires a lot more skills than in a typical leadership programme. However, little did I know, during the ThinkSeries awards ceremony, I was outsmarted once again. Being the MC, on the stage, with scripts prepared, all I can say is that life is full of surprises, with sudden unexpected changes, re-presenting several prizes, and prepared funny jokes which get a dead silence response from the crowd. Challenging as it was, it was still indeed a rewarding opportunity to exceed myself in various skills.

I also gained valuable experiences from all these challenges. During the programme, I have become a more outgoing person when I had to step out of my comfort zone and more courageous in speaking up and taking on extra responsibilities. I have fallen with my mistakes but learnt that there are always ways to get myself back up and not make the same errors again.

Wiseman gave us the perfect opportunity to maximize our capabilities and potentials with the right guidance. All these made me a better person and I am thankful for having joined the programme. Now that the programme has come to an end, my mailbox will no longer be bombarded with come-what-may e-mails, and I no longer have to spend endless time in adjusting budgets or writing satisfactory MC scripts, but the thought of not meeting up with the leaders every Thursday does make me feel quite empty. It is because I can honestly say we, leaders, have become like one big family all working hard to strive for success. We all grew with our dreams and dared to make changes. Thus, I’m definitely proud to say that I was a ThinkSeries leader of 2011! If there’s any more challenge out there for me, bring it on!

Alison Lee, Immaculate Heart of Mary College

We have done it! I never thought it would finish that fast.

I remember how we were extremely nervous and furious a week before the ceremony. We had to prepare a lot of things and make changes on plans. We didn’t even have a full rehearsal. These images are still fresh in my mind. Nevertheless, fortunately, thanks to all Wiseman staff and my fellow leaders, we were able to overcome all the anxiety and we pursued our ‘dream’ together. The ceremony was held quite successfully.

‘When reality brings you nowhere, look beside you and your dreams will be there.’

The moments I had together with the other 17 comrades since the beginning of 2011 will definitely remind me of my dreams. And these will give me the strength to dream bigger and make the dreams come closer to me. Furthermore, the experience and skills that I have come across will benefit me throughout my lifetime. May all of us have an enjoyable and memorable 2011!

Justin Ma, Ning Po College

It’s been a few months that we leaders started working together. We’ve tried our best to strive for excellence in areas that we were responsible for and voluntarily stepped out to help out the other teammates. With the invaluable opportunity to hold the ThinkSeries Award Ceremony, I not only gained insights into areas I wasn’t familiar with, but also let my strengths grow further.

The most rewarding experience is surely being the MC who contributes verbally. There were thousands of last minute changes on our scripts and arrangements which really tested my flexibility. I learnt that it is definitely quite a challenge to stay calm and deal with the unexpected situations on the stage. Fortunately, our MC team staged a good show and the ceremony ran smoothly.

It’s indeed an honour to work with the other 17 innovative minds to reach our common goal. Along this journey, we broadened our horizons and became good friends. We shared responsibility, realized the importance of communication skills and empathy, which are the elements of leadership. With these elements, we are now confident to embark on new dreams. With leadership, we are able to lay the groundwork for our further success. When we look back to our successful ceremony and the shining smiles on all participants’ faces, we will remember the unbreakable bond among us leaders as well as this adventurous journey!

Tina Villareal, St. Paul's Convent School

Finally, after four consecutive months of continuous preparation, the THiNKSeries Awards Ceremony was successfully held! I say successfully held here, in that everyone in the THiNKSeries Leadership Programme has come together to put this show on the road!

This entire programme has been both learning and teaching experience for all of us - we put our skills into practice, shared it with others and in turn were taught more in return. Looking back, there isn't really anything I would say that I regret not doing due to the fact that every one of these highly motivated and dedicated people pushed me to do my best, co-operate and work hard!

It may be the end of the programme, but it definitely isn't the end of this team! It was a pleasure getting to know all the other 17 leaders and I hope we shall all stay in touch!

Ann Wong, St. Rose of Lima’s College

Trying to cope with school work and simultaneously bearing the responsibilities of a leader is not an easy task, but somehow we managed to pull through it. The truth is that the idea of giving up did cross my mind several times when school was too harsh to endure and after-school hours were too precious to waste. But I questioned myself: why spend so much time on an extra-curricular activity? Why not skip a meeting? Why not neglect my duty when no one else notices? Then three months passed in hard work and great discoveries bring an end to the ThinkSeries Leadership Programme and now I have found the answers to all my questions.

Christie Wong, St. Stephen’s Girls’ College

I always used to believe that an outstanding leader can control and manage every aspect of a team, and the success of a project depending on whether there is an eminent leader to lead the team. However, after all these days I have spent with the other 17 THiNKSeries Leaders, I realized that my belief was proved wrong: things cannot be done simply by one man’s power. There is no ‘I’ in a team. It is always the ‘WE’ that makes up a whole complete successful and co-operative team. Every step a team makes needs to have communication and cooperation between members. What this Leadership Programme taught me is not simply jumping from a starter to a leader, but also taking every step wisely in order to reach our ultimate goal. It was really fun challenging ourselves to organize the entire awards ceremony. During every session, we discussed about each and every minute details of the ceremony, contacted different companies to order materials that we need, and held our hands and put our heads together to tackle all problems in our way. The process was toilsome, but the final result was indeed pleasing. Our baby was finally born after weeks and weeks of hard work. “痛苦，並快樂著” can best describe my feelings towards the whole process. I am so glad to have you all, leaders!

Grace Wong, Shung Tak Catholic English College

“What makes life difficult is that the process of confronting and solving problems is a painful one. Yet it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning.”

This saying in The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Pect describes exactly how I feel after becoming a ThinkSeries leader. This youth programme is not any ordinary one. We were given a lot valuable chances to learn, to grow and to stand out as leaders.I treasure every moment I spent with the other leaders. I’ve been amazed at how talented and smart they all are; some have excellent leadership skills and always get the big picture of what’s going on, some are good at communicating, while some carry the confidence when they speak in front of public. I’m so glad that I had the chance to learn from them and I was lucky enough to co-operate with them in planning the ThinkSeries Awards Ceremony. Not only have they got the charm as leaders, but they are also friendly and generous. We are united as a team, and it is the strong friendship which makes our team unique.

The ceremony may not have as smoothly run as we thought it to be. It was quite a mess in the beginning and we lost directions for a moment. But we didn’t fall, carried on and tried our best to put things back into order. This was a very special experience which will always be imprinted in our memories when we grow up. We were lucky to have this chance to make mistakes, and to learn from the mistakes.

I would like to thank all the Wiseman staff who guided us throughout this journey, and I hope we leaders will continue to strive for excellence through all the difficulties in life.

Joshua Wong, Yew Chung Internatioanl School

It’s finally over! After long months of hard work that came up to the ceremony, it’s now over! The ceremony is done and was successfully held! We did it!

Nonetheless, the journey doesn’t end here! Another page flipped and another race ran - it definitely hasn’t been easy, well or all smooth. All the things that we have learnt from our experience, the ups and the downs, and the goods and the bads, will carry on with us for our whole life. And hopefully we will be able to apply them in our future.

It has been a long race and I must thank the wonderful students I had the pleasure to work with as well as the Wiseman staff who helped us out in every way. It has truly been a new experience for me!

As we continue walking on this journey, I wish all my fellow leaders all the best in life ahead!

Lydia Wong, St. Rose of Lima's College

Rewinding everything I have done during the past three months, it seems to be a mere dream of mine!

I precisely remember the day when I first met the 18 complete strangers who were all cool, outstanding and bright. Initially, I felt that we were very distant and the first thought that came in my mind was “how I would be able to manage to organize such an enormous awards ceremony with this batch of elites, while I am not even one of them?” But soon I realized I was not wholly correct! They are no doubt smart but also vigorous teenagers who would gossip and play around! We got on well with each other and I indeed had a great and memorable time with all my new peers!

Though I didn’t do a perfect job, I have surly learnt a lot. Most importantly, I made so many new friends and I would like to say a big “Thank You” to them all since because of them, the whole entire ceremony mission becomes more real and vivid!

Vivian Yeung, St Paul's Convent School

The ThinkSeries Award Ceremony has come to an end and I’ve learned one of the most valuable lessons in my life.

I’ve gained more from the ThinkSeries Leadership Programme than I would ever have imagined. Not only have the 18 of us undergone extensive training sessions conducted by professionals and acquired various vital leadership skills, but we have become lifelong friends! It has been an interesting and eye-opening experience working with my teammates. This programme is certainly much more than just a series of training sessions - organising the big event has taught me how to communicate with people, how to meet deadlines, how to tackle last-minute changes and much more. We might have made countless mistakes during the entire process of preparation, but we got an opportunity to learn from them.

A year ago, I would have never dreamed that I would be able to take part in organising such a big ceremony, but here I am now, having helped successfully hold the ceremony! The experiences I’ve gained will surly help me in facing difficulties and challenges in the future. I’ll always remember my time as a ThinkSeries leader as one of the most unforgettable moments of my life!