CAS Final Essay: Cindy Kwon
As an IB diploma student, I had so many
experiences and learned a lot for about 2 years. I first didn’t understand the
reason why IB requires CAS and values it. I thought this CAS program is used to
find out how one can manage their time and write things regularly. However,
this wasn’t it. After working for CAS for 2 years, I found out that IB program
actually looked forward to help candidates to improve and learn how to become a
well-rounded person.
I have done a lot of things during my
junior and senior year. Among those, most of them were related with my CAS
projects. Sometimes, I had to deal with many kinds of problems or sometimes I
had to challenge myself to achieve my goal. Also, I had to commit myself to
help the other. Creativity, Action, and Service has really given me a lot of
great experiences for the past two years! It helped me to become a person who
can deal with problems, who can plan projects, who can accept any harsh words,
and also who can lead people. In other words, it helped me to become a person
whom everyone hopes to become.
Of course, there were many problems to deal
with when I was working on CAS. I was always late on submitting proposals,
writing journals, and also final reflections. I was not scheduled at all.
However, I am proud of myself for being able to finish everything. It was a bit
annoying and frustrating to finish all the work, but this definitely has helped
me to become a better person and learn a lot from it.
CAS is aimed or used to make one to become
a person who can increase the awareness of their own strength and areas of
growth, who can undertake any kinds of challenges, who can plan things, who can
work collaboratively with others, who can show perseverance and commitment in
their activities, who are engaged with issues of global issues, who considers
ethical implications of their actions, and who can develop new skills. And by
working on CAS for two years, I was able to become these kinds of person. I
honestly didn’t even notice that I covered all 8 learning outcomes. However, at
the end, I found out that I covered all of these without knowing. So, I personally
think that CAS actually leads people to learn these 8 learning outcomes.
I believe that one can never improve or get
better if they do not take challenges. One should take chances and know how to undertake
new challenges. And I could do this during my NHS projects, Recycling Club, and
varsity sports. I could use my leadership and my skills to improve the projects
and help others to work harder and feel comfortable.
One other thing that I want to talk about
is that people really wants to always to something which they are good and
which they wants to do. Same thing happened with me, however, I tried hard to
change my thoughts and wants and do things which can help other people.
Since I was not a good painter or drawer,
working as a decorator of the in front of the house was very challenging. I really
needed people’s help on doing my job as a head of the house decoration team.
Even if I couldn’t be artistic in this role, I could still work hard because I had
leadership and it was keep on growing. I learned how to control people even if
they were not following me. I think this role really helped me to grow up as a
person who can lead people and who can be trusted. I personally am very sorry
to my teammates because I couldn’t be with them every single day when they were
having a meeting. Sometimes, I was leaving them alone and I went to practice
soccer or went to soccer practices. However, I am so proud of my team because
they worked hard even if I wasn’t there with them.
When I was working with my Varsity
Basketball team, I was a defense leader. I don’t know why but I am always a
leader in defense. This is because I also am the leader of defense in Soccer. As
a leader of these sports, I had many problems which gave me a lot of hard
times. Some people were saying bad things about me, while some were ignoring
me. However, through this experience, I could grow up a lot. I learned how to
deal with those kinds of situations. I am pretty sure that everyone who was
part of our team knew how I felt in these situations. So, I am pretty sure that
they also learned from it that I hope they wouldn’t do these to any other next
leaders.
When I was working as a recycling club, I
learned a lot from it. I honestly am not good and speaking in front of so many
people and I usually was not the one who would talk in front of a lot of
people. However, being a member of publicity group made me to challenge myself
and I am now so proud of myself. When I was first talking in front of people, I
was so nervous. I literally was sweating so much on my hands! But, when I started
to talk repetitively, I got comfortable with what I was doing. It helped me to
get better and get comfortable.
For my NHS project, I planned to teach
children about hygiene so that they would know about the importance of them and
learn how to be clean. I chose this project because children who were in the
orphanage seemed like they were not taking shower, brushing their teeth, and so
on. I wanted them to be healthy that I decided to have my project on it. I had
many problems when dealing with this project. I was not fully prepared that I
had to visit the place almost right before the project. Yes, I shouldn’t have
done that but I am glad with this because it actually helped me a lot. Children
recognized me when I visited there again and they wanted to listen to me. I
think the visit helped me to explain the importance and usage of each item that
I have bought to children because I think they were a bit more interested.
CAS really helped me to become a person who
is well-rounded. I started to be part of many kinds of activities which helped
me to grow up inside. For two years of being an IB candidate, I was able to
experience the 8 learning outcomes even if I meant to do them. When I was
working throughout the year, I started to cover all those 8 learning outcomes
without knowing. Going through all the hardships and negative things have
brought me and made me into a stronger and tougher person. CAS has made me to feel
many different emotions. However, all those emotions such as frustration definitely
allowed me to think back and reflect myself. I am so happy to have such as
great experience with CAS. It has leaded me to have a lot of meaningful
memories and also valuable moments.
