Post by Wei Ling Lau

This Time, I Wasn’t Just a Participant. 🙌 In 2024, I joined my first ISLP trip to Batam, Indonesia as a clueless volunteer. I had no idea, just learning to paint, following instructions, and watching how the leads worked their magic. This year, I returned to Batam… but this time as the Co-Lead for School A and the Social Media Lead for the program. Same place. Very different role. I thought I was ready. But Day 1 hit hard. Logistics and manpower didn’t go as planned, and the team felt it. It was tough. But that night, I opened the floor, listened to everyone’s feedback, and we turned it around. By Day 2, everything clicked. We were ahead of schedule, and the smiles at the end of the day? Unforgettable.☺️ I co-led painting and school enhancement work, managed manpower, ensured safety and welfare, communicated with the school principal, adapted plans when things changed last minute, and created content for our DCIP social media account.🎨📸 Big love to my amazing School A team leads — Kai Xin Yap , Belinda Claire Robedillo , Ashlie Woo and JH SIEW — for their unwavering support and encouragement. Thank you for showering me with kind words, reminding me constantly that I was doing well, and making me believe in myself when I started to doubt. 🫶✨ And a special thank you to my lecturers Yi Wen Tan , Shawn Tay , Patrina Ng for believing in me, trusting me to lead in my own way, and giving me the “just do it” push when I needed it most. That trust made all the difference. 🙌 This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone. I used to think I was “too quiet to lead.” But Batam proved otherwise. I learned about teamwork, leadership, staying adaptable… and it’s the small moments that I’ll remember most — chatting and laughing during painting sessions, bonding over KOI drinks, playing games, and our nightly sharing sessions between the two schools. This wasn’t just a project. It was a milestone in my growth — a reminder that sometimes, the best version of yourself shows up when you dare to step up. 💪