Kathryn Goy and Pay Xinyi
Connecting with People with Love
Kathryn Goy:
I led an idyllic childhood, and I smile as I recall playing with my little friends in our neighbourhood under the watchful eyes of my mother. Our playground surrounded by nature and animals created a sense of security, curiosity and wonder.
One day, papa asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It was hard for the tinnie winnie mind to decide. “A Dancer? A Singer? An Actress? An Artist? Or to be a Teacher?”
I realised that dancing, singing, acting or drawing are my interests. So instead, I decided to manage those interests by working with people who are talented and passionate about them. Motherhood changed my life - and it changed my career along the way as well. I decided to work with young children to enhance my understanding of child development further.
The greatest reward of being a teacher is the love I share with the children. The return is pure and unconditional - the feeling is incredible when the little sprouts tell me, “Teacher, I love you”, or when they give me hugs. While the little sprouts learn about the world around them, they have inspired me to go out and try new things. Every day they grow a little bit more independent. As they grow, I grow.
The inspiration to give back to the community derives from my desire to make a difference in lives on a broader platform. I will continue to be a mentor to shape and influence young educators so that they can carry on with this legacy to nurture our little sprouts - who are the dream of our future. And this is the most significant inheritance I can give to others in my humble ways.
Pay Xinyi:
I lead an extraordinary childhood. I love to go camping in the jungle with my family and friends, enjoying nature without internet connection as we pitch our tents and cook our own meals. The time spent together is always precious and memorable.
After months of planning and research, we embarked on a road trip expedition in 2017, which spanned over 22 days as we convoyed to Malaysia, Thailand and all the way to Myanmar. We headed to an orphanage for some charity work! What made it even more challenging yet memorable was that we were camping at many different national parks during the entire road trip! You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Caring is kindness
Being kind makes the people around us happy and most importantly ourselves too! So together with my mom and grandma, we actively participated in ‘Meals on Wheels’, a meal delivering programme that helps to meet the daily needs of home-bound elderly. Besides that, I also spent my school holidays visiting Touch Community hostel to interact and play games with special needs children. Overall, I was thankful to be a part of it and to make a small difference to their lives!
Sometimes, happiness is not the more the better, but just right.
All kind acts have a bit of self-interest in them, giving us a sense of peace and meaning that cannot be bought. This value has been strongly instilled in me & my family. I had the opportunity to participate in the NUS Service day at Willing Hearts, preparing, cooking and packing a big scale of food packs to be delivered to the underprivileged. It was an eye opener as I experienced many volunteers working seriously and systematically without a second of delay. I am sure you fully understand the similar inspiration to give back to the community!
Gratitude
A part of kindness requires you to notice others and do something to show your appreciation. I was taught since young to be thankful for everything, including a simple gesture of someone holding the lift for you. During this year’s NDP, I took part in a project via giving.sg to show my appreciation for all our frontline workers by making handmade ‘Thank You’ cards! I was also interested to help others improve their quality of life with technology during such tough times, hence I decided to volunteer as a Smart Nation Ambassador. Overall, my childhood provides a healthy boost to my self-confidence & self-esteem as I continue to grow and give back as much as I can!
