The Student Achievement Awards (SAA) recognises exceptional individual students or student organisations for their noteworthy contributions to the University in areas outside the academic curriculum. (http://nus.edu.sg/osa/campus-life/osa-celebrates.html)
Our faculty advisor, Assistant Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge and our past President and Vice-Presidents have identified and nominated individuals in the EXCO who displayed exceptional leadership and PBG projects that have demonstrated an increased impact over AY 2016/17.
We are pleased to announce that the Students4Migrants project has received the Gold Award for the Community Projects category, while our previous President Hairul Siddeeq and Vice-President (Internal) Carol Yuen have received the Gold and Bronze Awards respectively in the Leadership Category.
Read on for their thoughts and feelings!
Madeleine Poh, S4M Project Director
Students 4 Migrants (S4M) was founded in 2014 and since then members have worked hard to achieve recognition and results for the project within the community that we help and within the community we aim to inspire. I believe the work that was done in S4M deserves an award, as well as everyone (Faulty Advisors, founders of S4M, past and present leaders and members) who devoted their time and effort to S4M. I believe that every participant of the project has made a weighty contribution to the project. Our collective and cumulative work has resulted in impressive results and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone. May the past, present and future batches continue to work together, nurture and support S4M. Thank you!
Hairul Siddeeq, President
It is a great honour to be a recipient of the NUS Student Achievement Award for Leadership, and this definitely belongs to the entire Pro Bono Group for all we achieved in AY 2016/17.
First of all, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to Professor Eleanor Wong and Professor Helena Whalen-Bridge for giving PBG their resources, time and fullest support in all our activities and events. Prof Helena, in particular, has been with us every step of the way with her trademark bright smile and her valuable advice. I am grateful for the amazing opportunities she offered for us to take on in our term.
Next, a big thank you to our various beneficiary groups, some of whom I’ve had the privilege of working together with. Thank you for continuing to collaborate with us in our various projects, and this award motivates me to continue finding new avenues to serve the community at large.
Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank all the PBG members, especially the PBG EXCO members, who stepped up and served with distinction in AY 2016/17. I have nothing but fond memories working together with every single one of you. Special thanks goes out to the VPs, Carol and Janice, for being a joy to work with and being the voice of reason which tempered my (sometimes irrational) excitement and enthusiasm.
I definitely experienced both highs and lows in my term in the Pro Bono Group. But the people I’ve worked with made the ‘highs’ much sweeter, and the ‘lows’ all the more worth it . Thank you all!
Carol Yuen, Vice-President (Internal)
It has been a real pleasure for me to have served as Vice-President of PBG. PBG has allowed me to connect with and derive joy from so many different groups of people — enthusiastic teammates and members, receptive beneficiaries, understanding partner organisations and supportive faculty.
It was a tremendous team effort to have carried out all our projects meaningfully, and I had always felt that we were working together to provide the best pro bono work for our beneficiaries.
Thank you so much for your passion and dedication, and for trust in me to lead PBG!
