The Freshers’ Event is an annual tradition at our school to warmly welcome the new Grade 11 students into the IB Diploma Programme. It’s a fun, vibrant way to introduce them to the DP spirit through performances, games, and bonding activities. I was part of the core organizing team, which meant I was responsible for overseeing the event’s overall planning and execution, right from dance and decor to coordination, social media ideas, and team management.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

From the start I knew I had a knack for leading and organizing. I love being in charge of creative stuff and taking responsibility. And yes, I’ll admit it, I yelled. At times I myself self evaluated that what can be done and what changes I have to bring in me in order to stop yelling. Many time I went to our teacher incharge and used to complain about me yelling all the time. But gradually I saw a lot of positive growth in my team and yelling actually worked sometimes. It got things done. But to provide a proper balance I always gave my team breaks, planned fun dance sessions, and let everyone breathe and enjoy. I wasn’t just a dictator; I knew when to chill and when to push. Over time though, I started reflecting on my leadership style. Like okay, maybe not everyone responds well to pressure. So I started evaluating what worked, changed my tone where needed, and made conscious efforts to support my team instead of just scaring them into action. This project helped me grow into a leader who could balance strictness with softness, and that’s something I’m really proud of.

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken

There were challenges non-stop throughout the entire process. Time clashes, people backing out at the last minute, constant follow-ups with teachers, and sudden choreography changes made things incredibly stressful. At the same time, I was also managing social media ideas, dance rehearsals, and trying to get teammates to actually show up and do their part. There were moments I literally had to drag people into practice rooms. I had to constantly come up with new ways to push the team—sometimes through motivation, sometimes with a little pressure, and occasionally even playful emotional blackmail. It really tested my patience, but I genuinely feel like it helped me improve my problem-solving and people management skills.

LO3: Initiate and plan a CAS experience

As a member of the core team, I was deeply involved in planning every aspect of the event from the very beginning. I scheduled our first meeting, delegated roles based on people’s strengths, and ensured tasks were progressing on time. I suggested early morning prep sessions and after-school practices, which actually turned out to be quite effective. I also helped finalize the event theme, coordinated transitions between performances, and handled unexpected issues as they came up. This wasn’t just me assisting on a project—it felt like I was leading the entire experience with full responsibility.

LO4: Show commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences

There were honestly so many times when I felt like giving up. People weren’t cooperating, plans kept falling apart, and I was completely drained. But I knew if I quit halfway, everything we worked for would collapse. So I kept showing up, even when I was sleep-deprived and stressed. I stayed up late calling people to remind them of their responsibilities, and I reached school early for prep without fail. I didn’t let the chaos get the better of me. In the end, our performance received the most praise and was called the highlight of the afternoon. That moment made all the exhaustion worth it.

LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

At first, I believed I could manage everything on my own. But this experience showed me how important it is to trust and work with people. I had to understand everyone’s working style. Some teammates needed regular reminders, while others preferred being left to manage their own tasks. One particular member was hard to deal with. She often backed out and missed deadlines. Instead of yelling like I used to, I had a conversation with her and assigned her something she genuinely enjoyed. She ended up doing a great job. I realised that every person needs a different approach and adapting to that is what makes a leader effective.

LO6: Engagement with issues of global significance

While planning the event, we also made a conscious effort to be more sustainable. Instead of buying new materials for decor, we reused props from a Grade 7 event. We repainted and reworked them creatively to match our theme. It may have seemed like a small step, but it helped reduce waste and made us more mindful of how much material gets thrown away after events. This experience reminded me that even in something like school event planning, we can make choices that contribute to larger global goals like sustainability and responsible consumption.