Strengthening leadership skills and building camaraderie among student leaders at Yale-NUS

By Billy Tran

There is no denying that student organisations at Yale-NUS College contribute significantly to campus life. The wide range of organisations available on campus, including the performing arts, athletics, and identity groups, provide abundant opportunities for students to explore numerous interests and skills, while keeping our community abuzz with exciting activities.

Students receiving their gift bags for the Student Leadership Retreat. Image provided by the Student Affairs Office.

Given the importance of student organisations within the Yale-NUS community, it is crucial that the leaders of these groups are trained to lead and serve their members. Every year, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) organises a retreat for student leaders to provide them with opportunities to hone their skills.

This year, the Student Leadership Retreat took place on 22 January 2022, and recorded the largest attendance ever of 132 student leaders. Participants attended an exciting day of workshops, off-campus activities, and took the chance to recharge and prepare themselves for the semester ahead.

“The purpose of every year’s retreat is to create a space for students to develop new skills, form new bonds with other student leaders and groups, and spend some time away from the busy campus. It is also our way for showing our appreciation for all the work they do to contribute to our vibrant campus life,” shared Petrina Loh, Associate Director for Student Organisations and Leadership. She also hoped the retreat would help student leaders build skills that can be applied in life beyond college.

For the first half of the retreat, participants chose from 14 unique workshops on topics such as bystander intervention, implicit biases, and community service.

Image of the workshop on conflict resolution, conducted by Tan Yock Theng, Assistant Senior Programme Manager, Leadership & Global Citizenship (right), and Annette Wu, Assistant Manager for Intercultural Engagement (left), provided by the Student Affairs Office.

Philippa Self (Class of 2024) attended the workshop “Practical Tips for Inclusion and Accessibility”, led by Annette Wu, Assistant Manager for Intercultural Engagement. “I learnt about a variety of resources available to Yale-NUS students, from campus accessibility maps to accessibility-checking tools in PowerPoint,” Philippa shared. Participants also learned about practices such as wearing transparent masks, using accessible fonts that are easier to read, and alternative text features.

As a student leader in various groups that promote inclusion and respect for diversity, such as the Kingfishers’ for Consent (KFC) and the G-Spot, the workshop was directly related to Philippa’s line of work. “I believe inclusivity and accessibility are at the core of my student groups. While there is a lot we can do to improve, some of it is as simple as offering more inclusive meal options at events or updating our posters’ font or colour scheme to make it more readable,” she said.

Student leaders attending the “Showcasing Student Leadership on your Resume” workshop. Image provided by the Student Affairs Office.

Student leaders from the various residential college councils and identity collectives were also invited to the retreat. Zane Siak (Class of 2025), Treasurer of the Elm College Council, attended “Developing Effective Listening Skills”, which taught him more about active listening. “In a student organisation that focuses on event management, tight deadlines and last-minute surprises are the norm. Active listening is helpful not only for solving problems, but also promoting emotional wellbeing among our members,” he said.

Similarly, Manisha Saigal (Class of 2024), Vice-President of the Improv Comedy Conglomerate, found the workshop she attended – “Navigating Conflict: Taking Next Steps” – useful in her efforts to managing her student group. “I discovered a weakness in my own conflict management style of relentlessly collaborating. While I valued collaboration, I tended to impose this style of working on my members, which sometimes backfires when they don’t reciprocate. The workshop equipped me with frameworks I can use to manage conflicts, especially while planning for shows”.

“I would definitely use what I learnt in my current and future friendships. It’s a universal skill to have,” she added.

Students leaders excitedly beginning their ride down the Luge at Sentosa. Image provided by Manisha Saigal.

After a day’s learning, the participants entered the “retreat” part of the programme, where they ventured out of the college grounds to a fun activity of their choice; students who chose cosmic bowling at Orchard Road experienced a futuristic bowling rink with neon lights and glow-in-the-dark bowling balls, while those who opted for the Luge at Sentosa island enjoyed a scenic trip on a chairlift following by a thrilling ride down the luge tracks.

“It’s been really busy all year-round for my student group because of numerous events and projects. I think the student leaders and I really enjoyed being able to get away from it all for a day and just enjoy ourselves,” Zane said. He added that the activities were great team-bonding experiences.