Monday, 14 Dec 2020 04:52 PM MYTThe author with other volunteers from the Nanyang Technological University Alumni Club at Jewel Changi Airport in January 2020 when they took a group of seniors there to tour the Canopy Park. — Pix courtesy of Ong Shen KwangDuring my school days, I was busy chasing after paper qualifications. When I started working, I thought I would have time for volunteering. But I was wrong — my incessant pursuit of career excellence had enslaved me in a world of busyness.
It was nearing the end of 2018. That afternoon, I reflected on some of the meaningful things that I had done for the year, but I struggled to recall any. That morning, not only did I derive much laughter from the conversations with the elderly; I also felt touched from their little gestures of appreciation, such as a simple word of “thanks”, or telling me how much they enjoyed my company.After the event, I realised that I enjoyed volunteering so much that I decided to become a regular volunteer with the club.
That moment tugged at my heartstrings. The appreciation I had received was not something that money could buy, and that is what makes volunteering worthwhile. By locking volunteering events into my calendar, I am able to work my other priorities around these dates.Some others tell me not to waste time because I am not going to make a huge impact anyway.
We then had a few mentoring sessions, where I helped him to identify his roadblocks, gain greater clarity of his career purpose, and explore the various employment possibilities.