Community, Action, and Service Final
IB Essay
Introduction
When I was told
how challenging and miserable the IB was, I was sure I didn’t want to
participate in the program. There was so much to it, including the extended
essay, exams, IAs, and last but not least, CAS. CAS seemed too overwhelming to
me, and I felt as though I wouldn’t have time for anything else if I had to
participate in the program. However, I soon discovered that almost everything I
did outside of school, including after school activities, clubs and plays, all
contributed to CAS. Over the two years of my IB experience, I have learned a
lot and grown, much to my own advantage, out of my comfort zone. A large part
of this is because of CAS.
As
a creative person, the main activities I was involved in were things such as
plays, writing club, book club, photography club, and prom planning. However, I
also took part in a service club called Friends of Marich, and I also
participated in service while on my intercultural trip. I do not participate in
many sports, so finding something to incorporate into my “action” requirement,
was more difficult than anything else. Fortunately, I participated in several
games of dodge ball and badminton for the International School of Kenya’s
Athletic Council’s competition. I also played Ultimate Frisbee the 4th
term of my 11th and 12th grade years. Throughout this
essay, I explore the different aspects of CAS, with the underlying idea of
having increased my awareness of my own strengths and areas for growth.
Undertaken New Challenges
During the first
semester of 11th grade, I participated in a play called Arabian Nights as part of my Creativity
requirement. This was a challenge for me as it was my first major school
production. It also benefitted me a great deal, as I got to work closely with
my peers and, at the same time, grow and learn as an actress. Rehearsals
started off small, with blocking and the learning of lines, however, it soon
became a large challenge for everyone in the cast. I was introduced to a new
form of theatre, which incorporated puppets into a production. As someone
playing many different roles in this production of Arabian Nights, I was given the task of a puppeteer. This was
extremely challenging, as it required an entirely new kind of movement and
grace that I was not blessed with. I had to learn how to manipulate a giant
bird puppet with five of my fellow peers and actors. Working together, we had
to transform a false bird made out of paper-mache into a believable bird for
the audience we would be performing in front of. It took a lot of dedication,
but eventually I learned how to make the wing I was responsible for, look as
though it was flapping. This project made me realize how important it is for
everyone to work together in order to complete a common goal.
Planned and Initiated Activities
As
part of Prom Committee in 11th grade, I planned and initiated
several activities. The committee was a great place to express opinions and
contribute ideas. As it was a completely student run group, a lot of decisions
had to be made, and we all had to work together to ensure our prom would be
fantastic. At times, it is difficult for me to work in groups, so this
experience was interesting, to say the least. We had to make choices about
almost everything. We were required to put together a menu, organize prom king
and queen nominations, raise money, and decorate the venue. I helped sell roses
on Valentine’s Day in order to raise money, and I helped purchase decorations
and set up the venue. Though I occasionally have trouble working
collaboratively with others, I exceed at organization and getting others
involved. My efforts helped sell tickets and organize the final prom experience
Overall, it was a collective effort and was required a lot of time and effort.
Fortunately, it was worth it.
Worked Collaboratively with Others & Engaged with Issues of Global
Importance
On my 12th
grade intercultural trip, I participated in digging the foundation for a
schoolroom and building a guard’s residence. I also met, played and worked with
children at a small school near the Masai Mara. We worked with the Me to We/Free the Children foundation, and helped them in their efforts to
provide education for children in and around the Mara. This felt like very important
and meaningful work to me, and I knew I was lucky to be doing it. I learned
about how little children receive in order to go to school. Their uniforms were
torn and their books were a mess. However, after talking with several of them,
I realized how lucky they felt to be getting any kind of education whatsoever.
Although
building a school and a guardhouse was extremely physical work, it was
fulfilling and I truly felt as though I was making a difference. I know I will
probably never have this sort of experience again, so I was very fortunate to
feel the satisfaction that comes with helping others, even when hard labor is
involved.
Shown Perseverance and commitment in their
activities
As one of the
co-chairs of Photography Club, I learned the importance of responsibility and
planning. I also learned how to deal with problem that arose during the course
of the activity. I had always loved photography, but had not been part of a
club until 10th grade. In 11th grade, I was promoted to
co-chair with a friend of mine. We remained in these positions until the end of
12th grade. As a co-chair, I was responsible for planning the
calendar we make every year, and the trip we almost always go on. I was also
responsible for planning and putting together critiques for our weekly
meetings. A challenge I often encountered, was that a large part of the club
simply wanted credit for CAS and were not necessarily very dedicated to the
completing activities I assigned. I had to constantly remind everyone that they
had to send in pictures for our critique. However, I learned that setting goals
and learning targets such as working with aperture or portraiture helped
motivate certain people. For several weeks, I contemplated quitting Photography
Club, mainly because I was busy with a lot of other things, but also because I
was disappointed at the lack of club members’ commitment. However, I realized
that I love photography, and I should keep passing my love and knowledge for it
on to others. Putting together a calendar and working with each club member on
their individual months/pages, was time consuming and very difficult,
especially because a lot of them were reluctant to take responsibility of their
pages. However, I worked with each member one on one and we successfully completed
a 14-month calendar for 2013/14.
Conclusion
I learned so much
through my experiences with creativity, action and service in high school. The
CAS program was beneficial and taught me how to succeed in my professional, and
personal life. Though I was primarily involved in the creativity aspect of CAS,
I had the joy of doing action and service as well. And the International School
of Kenya was the perfect place to do so.
