Student Voice: Shaping Leaders of Tomorrow
Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is made up of students from around the world, with a depth and breadth of experiences that create a vibrant, thriving student body community. Our goal is for all students to Live Worldwise; to leave the College with the knowledge, skills and motivation to make a positive difference in the world as successful 21st century global citizens. When our students go out into the world, they do so having been guided to lead, work collaboratively, seek connections, find common ground and to be empathetic.
In our Student Voice series of articles, we provide a platform for the students in our community to share their experiences and passions.
Otto T, our dynamic Student Voice Champion, offers an insider's perspective on the profound impact of student leadership at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi. Through candid interviews with key members of the leadership team, we gain insights into the transformative experiences that shape our leaders of tomorrow.
Otto T
Student Voice Champion
Exploring Opportunities – Senior School Student Leadership Team
At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, students are given countless opportunities to build and improve their self-esteem, confidence, communication, and other skills to strengthen their mindset, encouraging them to work hard and aim high. One of the most much-loved opportunities is the student leadership team.
The student leadership team allows students to stand out from their peers, communicate with staff members to improve student satisfaction, set up events with teachers, meet with off-campus leaders, and fulfill other responsibilities.
In today's article, we invited Lily C, the Senior Head Student of 2022-2023. The Head Student has the most important role in the student leadership team; they oversee the student council committee, take charge of weekly assemblies, and, most importantly, represent the school. Lily talks about the challenges she faced in her journey and how they built and motivated her to become a better student.
"In my role as Head Student, I initially faced challenges connecting with my peers. Being relatively new to Dulwich, I haven't yet fully grasped the school's values, the dynamics of the leadership team, or even the personalities of my peers. However, my conversation with our head of college served as a powerful reminder that, as Head Student, I had an obligation to continually strive for self-improvement and serve as an exemplary figure for the school community with imperfection. Pursuing this goal, I actively sought opportunities to refine my leadership skills, such as attending mental health conferences, autism care training, and leadership events. These experiences ultimately bolstered my confidence and allowed me to grow personally, academically and professionally."
Self-motivation is key to a growth mindset. Staying strong and learning from challenges and mistakes provides unique opportunities to build essential skills for improvement. While working hard and aiming high is also a key component of improvement, being proud of ourselves provides us with open mindsets for targets of development. The current Head Student of 2023-2024, Jerold P, shares his thoughts about how being a part of the student leadership team makes him proud.
"Student leadership is a way for me to serve the Dulwich community, and though at times it feels challenging dealing with the frictions between the different groups that make up the Dulwich community, once everything is resolved, I end up feeling quite proud of everything that I am able to provide in my capacity as a Head Student."
Self-esteem plays an important role in leadership. By demonstrating confidence, students stand out from their peers, and confidence supports them in leading their group. Tianle G, the current year 10 Student Council Representative and the Song House Captain of 2022-2023, shares how he gained self-esteem throughout his journey in the student leadership team.
“As a member of the student leadership team, I had numerous opportunities to interact with leading figures in the Dulwich Puxi community. It has given me great insight into being a leader, improving my confidence, and speaking with a wider array of people. The opportunities to communicate with important community members throughout my student journey have been invaluable to my leadership experience."
As Tianle mentioned, communication is also a critical factor in Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi's student leadership team. This can be practised not only by talking and sharing ideas with peers but also by public speaking. Student leaders must deliver to various audiences, including students, teachers, and parents. Ilir L, Yung House Captain of 2022-2023, tells us how being a house captain improved his communication skills.
“Being a House Captain improved my communication skills. Firstly, House Captains are given responsibilities to discuss and plan with other House captains and staff to arrange house events. We talk to our House members before, during, and after House events to engage with them and improve the House community as a whole. Talking to numerous groups in the Dulwich community improved my confidence in communicating with others; this provides me with a positive mindset while dealing with peer relationships.”
As a part of the student leadership team myself, being able to join the community is an honour. It is not only proof of a student's success but also provides countless opportunities to improve ourselves in all aspects. It allows us to focus on and develop our interpersonal skills, improving student achievement and contributing to a better school community.