CAS - The Final Report / Reflection

Name: Alishia Mary Binh Healey

Learning Outcome Activity

1 Strength and Growth St Trinians Production
Wizard of Oz Production
Band Performances
Pegasus House Captain
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
2 Challenge and Skills World Scholars Cup
Making A Movie
Band Performances
Pegasus House Captain
Inter-School Athletics Carnival
Dragon Dance
Animal Care
3 Initiative and Principals Challenge
Planning Pegasus House Captain
AIS 2016-2017 Head Girl
4 Commitment and Robin Hood Pantomime
Perseverance St Trinians Production
Wizard of Oz Production
Schedule PE
Animal Rescue and Care
Animal Care
AIS 2016-2017 Head Girl
5 Collaborative Skills Robin Hood Pantomime
Principals Challenge
Making A Movie
Band Performances
Sports Day
6 Global Engagement Terry Fox Run
Scheduled PE
Animal Rescue and Care
Teaching Orphans to Swim
7 Ethics of Choices Animal Rescue and Care
and Actions Teaching Orphans to Swim
Back-to-School BBQ Volunteering
AIS 2016-2017 Head Girl
Written Reflection:
I knew about CAS through talking with the previous years graduates, and
watching them participate in activities, as well as just reading about the IBDPs
requirements, so I kind of knew what to expect from the CAS component. CAS was
not daunting for me personally, as in the years prior to CAS, I was already an active
member of the AIS community. While I saw CAS as an opportunity to play to my
natural strengths as a member of the community, I aimed to make sure that I
participated in events that would challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone,
such as being involved with events that required a lot of socializing, such as the
Back-to-School BBQ, and the Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells fundraiser. It was relatively
easy for me to get onto to CAS due me being naturally proactive, participating in
events that I would typically would have done, such as the Inter-School Athletics
Carnival and the annual productions. After beginning with experiences that I was
comfortable with, I began to branch out into activities that pushed my comfort zone;
for example, I got involved with ARC Saigon, which was something I would never
have typically done, especially since it was a community experience, rather than a
school-based experience, as well as taking on bigger roles in the school community,
such as being Pegasus House Captain 2015-2016 and being the Head Girl of AIS
2016-2017.
I think the most challenging aspect of CAS was balancing the three strands.
Because I naturally gravitated to creativity or service experiences, often times I
found it difficult to incorporate long-term activity experiences, due to my
commitment to the other two strands. I think that balancing the learning outcomes
for my CAS experiences was also quite difficult, as I had the tendency to participate
events that relied more on strength and growth, or challenge and skills, as opposed
to initiative and planning, or global engagement. If I were to do CAS again, I think I
would have definitely get involved in experiences that would involve more initiative,
as well as global engagement; those two learning outcomes were two I could have
definitely improved on. Time-management was not a big issue for me as it was for
others, because I had naturally done activities that had gained my interest, so I did
not see my experiences as sacrificed time for studying; rather I saw it as an
opportunity to take a break from the rigorous academic lifestyle and better myself.
Another aspect I found really difficult with CAS, particularly in the second year, was
finding the motivation to continue the long-term commitments I had. The 2016-2017
academic year was a difficult year for me personally, due to a lot family issues at
home, and I found it difficult to persevere and continue a lot of my activities.
The activities that I found the most fulfilling and enjoyable were: the annual
school production (creativity), Pegasus House Captain (action), and 2016-2017 AIS
Head Girl (service). I think the most fulfilling experience for creativity was the annual
school production, namely the 2016-2017 Wizard of Oz, where I given the role of the
main antagonist of the musical, the Wicked Witch of the West. This experience was of
particular significance to me because it was my last high-school production, so I
wanted to give this experience my all. The character was one of the most challenging
characters for me to act as, and I think I really improved my ability to act and get into
character, and losing that self-conscious shield. The music aspect of the production
also allowed me to develop my skill as a vocalist, as it required more emotions than I
was typically used to. My involvement in the productions has developed a life-long
passion for creative, musical endeavours, and I am definitely going to pursue acting
as a hobby in university. I credit both productions, and the productions prior to CAS,
for helping me build the confidence and skills that allowed me to really grow and
develop into an adult, and paved the path for me to take part in bigger, more
demanding roles that required self-assuredness, such as Head Girl of AIS 2016-2017.
Being a House Captain was particularly fulfilling experience for me because I was
able to get involved with a core aspect of the school, that being House spirit. Being a
captain of the House really developed my appreciation and value for sport, as I saw
the ways in which competition and team-work positively contributed to the school
community. It also enabled me to develop skills as an athlete, where I was constantly
challenged by the different events, such as the House Dance, something I would
never typically participate in, as well as develop skills as an organizer, where I was
one of the main forces driving the House events, along with my fellow co-captains.
Although we werent always victorious, memories of working together as a team and
trying our best. The experience that I found most fulfilling was definitely being the
Head Girl of AIS, where I, alongside the Head Boy, were the leaders of the school. We
launched a new project, called the Peer Mentor Project, where we aimed to help
support the students at AIS, organizing events for students to participate in. I was
definitely able to learn new leadership skills, as well as improve my existing skills
such as public speaking. This role to me was definitely challenging, as I felt that more
people than ever were watching me, so I felt the need to set a constant good
example, which bettered me as a person. Additionally, being able to support my
peers, and make connections with the younger year levels was fulfilling to me, as I
truly felt I was making an impact on the school community. This experience was also
the most difficult for me due to the sheer amount of commitment and perseverance it
required, and oftentimes I found it difficult to maintain the appearance, due to my
own difficulties. I was able to learn the importance of establishing connections and
learnt to value my ability to assist and lead others, as well as learning how to
organize events that benefits all.
Through CAS, I have gained a better awareness of my strengths and
weaknesses as an individual, as an actor, as a leader, as member of the community,
and as an athlete. I believe that I was able to successfully accomplish these different
roles, but something I think I need to improve on his consistency at being all three
people, as well as being more headstrong, and initiating events that benefits both
myself and the wider community. As a part of my CAS, I think I could have joined
some local teams to improve myself as an athlete, as I did not get to experience the
competitive environment as much as I wanted to. I think more out-of-school
experiences would have definitely benefitted me and improve my social skills in
unfamiliar settings. Overall, I am proud of the experiences and my achievements
through my CAS experiences, and I do believe CAS was a vital part of my IBDP
experience, allowing me to become a well-rounded individual with new aspirations
and motivation that will assist me in future endeavours.