Head of Raffles House Brian Wong

Brian Wong DP1 B

It was only when asked to write about my leadership journey at SISHK that I stopped to consider – at what point did I become a leader? Was it when my form teacher nominated me in Primary 3 as a school monitor, a position I treasured because it meant a reward from my parents? Was it when I made the last-minute decision to make an election speech for the Community Council as a clueless S1?  Or was it when I stood in front of Raffles and uttered my first words as a house leader?

I’ve come to realise that leadership is not defined by your rank and title, or by the seniority of your position.  Rather it is the relationship and respect between you and your peers that determines the quality of your leadership. As a shy, hesitant, S1 student, I remember feeling intimidated as the lowest-ranking member of the Community Council – for the entire year I would nod and smile at my wiser seniors and dutifully carry out whatever task they instructed. That said, one of my goals for this academic year is for our internal Raffles house meetings to be driven by the passion, energy and creativity of our house representative, and not turn into a lecture-style ordering session.

The swift transition to Head of House has been jarring. The newfound, unexpected power has brought along welcome challenges and obstacles, that I hope will only help me to grow as a leader. I ran for head of house to be able to make an impact on the school community in my last two years here. I still remember being told on my first day in SISHK as a member of Raffles house that we ‘weren’t the most winningest house’^[1]. Four full years have passed since that day, and for the most part, that statement has remained entirely true. Yet under the continued guidance of our past few house leaders, the entire demeanour of the house has shifted for the better. Over the next two academic years, not only do I hope to lead, inspire, and build relationships with our younger house members to form a closer, tight-knit house, I also want to instill a lasting winning culture in Raffles that has not been previously present.

I truly believe that the house system is the backbone of our school. It is the rapport between students and teachers in a house, the fierce rivalry between houses, and most importantly the showcase of house spirit which form the vibrant school community that we as a school strive to achieve. I look forward to playing an important role in solidifying this culture.

^[1] The words of Mr. Richard Dook, our S1 Year Head