Below is Wai Kit's story...

Choong Wai Kit, 1 year AIESECer (student of Taylor’s Business School, UWE, Year 1)

I am currently a Year 1 student enrolled in University of West of England, Bristol, taking Accounting and Finance. I joined AIESEC in January last year. Back then, I was just a foundation student and being new, I started my journey in AIESEC by attending the AIESEC Gatherings which are held once a fortnight. One of the first events besides AIESEC Gatherings during the very beginning of the year would be the Local Leadership Development Seminar (LLDS).

The purpose of LLDS is to gather new members to allow them to mingle with senior members and to make them feel belonged. Most importantly, this camp is to instill leadership skills in new members and focuses a lot on team building, motivation and soft skills to ensure the development of new members and to bring out their own potentials and develop them. Unfortunately, during my first year in AIESEC, I could not join the camp due to some personal reasons. After LLDS, I saw drastic changes in all the delegates who went for LLDS. They had more confidence and are more outspoken and outgoing. I felt left out and it made me feel as if I missed out a lot.

Most of them who went for LLDS took up leadership roles and were really out-going while I started to pick up slowly. I could see that they really grew in AIESEC ever since LLDS. July 2008, I took the opportunity and applied to be in the Organising Committee for Induction Conference. It was a great experience for me and I knew that AIESEC is the platform where I would want to develop myself. I thought of being more active. However, as compared to those who went for LLDS, I felt that I am still incompatible with them which demotivated me. I started slacking in AIESEC and was not as active as before. Throughout, I still attended AIESEC Gatherings and witnessed how each member grew. I was very inconsistent as compared to the others.

Towards the end of last year, I tried motivating myself and this time I was in the Organising Committee for Malaysia Leadership Development Seminar (MyLDS). By the end of the event, I was determined and I knew exactly what I want to do in AIESEC. I knew AIESEC is the organisation where I want to develop myself.

At the beginning of this year, I thought to myself, since it is the start of a new year and I would be starting my brand new university life, why not I start everything new, even in AIESEC. Following this, I took up the role as the Organising Committee for Talent Recruitment. The event was successful and I am now more outgoing in AIESEC. I built up my confidence and during the month of February, I was awarded the “Most Progressive AIESECer” of the month. This motivated me, as what I did since the beginning of the year was worth it. I could see myself change. I want to continue to try inspiring others, especially new AIESECers, to grow in AIESEC.

After all my experiences so far, I want to contribute more and be responsible to the organization as I enjoy participating in AIESEC. I now want to start taking up leadership positions in AIESEC. AIESEC made me experience how it is like working in a team and what makes a team. We would go through ups and downs together and compromise. However, as I think back of my AIESEC journey last year, I still feel that if I had attended LLDS last year, I would already be someone better back then. Anyhow, at least I realised soon enough, and it’s better late than never.

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