CAS - The Final Report / Reflection

Name: Huynh To Hien (Jenny)

Learning Outcome Activity

1 Strength and Growth U19 volleyball 2018-2019
House Captain 2017-2018
Physical Education
U16 AISA Soccer Team

2 Challenge and Skills Tutoring Primary Kids

Animal Care
House Dance Planning

3 Initiative and Planning House Captain 2017-2018

House Dance Planning
Production Backstage Crew
USPEAK Vietnam

4 Commitment and U19 Volleyball 2017-2018

Perseverance GIN Conference 2019
Animal Care
Physical Education
U16 AISA Soccer Team

5 Collaborative Skills U19 Volleyball 2017-2018

U19 volleyball 2018-2019
House Captain 2017-2018
CAS Day – Movie Making
Primary Sports Day
Production Backstage Crew

6 Global Engagement GIN Conference 2019

RESIST Campaign Group
Terry Fox Run
USPEAK Vietnam

7 Ethics of Choices and Tutoring Primary Kids

Actions RESIST Campaign Group
The Saigon Challenge
SÓNG Project
Written reflection:

Before entering the IBDP programme, I have known about CAS by talking to the previous

year’s graduates so I had a basic idea of what to expect from the CAS component as well as what I

should do. I did not find CAS horrible like many people said as in the years prior to CAS, I was

already an active person. While I saw CAS as an opportunity to play to my natural strengths as a

member of the community, I aimed to make sure that I participated in events that would

challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone, such as being involved with events that

required a lot of "socializing" like House Captain. It was relatively easy for me to get into CAS

because I was already participating in events that I typically would have done. However, after

beginning with experiences that I was comfortable with, I decided to push myself out of my

comfort zone and try new activities because why not? For example, I started to take on bigger

role in the school community which involved leadership skills such as being Pegasus House

Captain 2017-2018 and GIN Conference 2019 GANG Leader.

I think the most challenging aspect of CAS was balancing the three strands. Because I

naturally gravitated to ‘creativity’ or ‘service’ experiences, often times I found it difficult to

incorporate long-term ‘activity’ experiences, due to my commitment to the other two strands. I

think that balancing the learning outcomes for my CAS experiences was also quite difficult, as I

had the tendency to participate events that relied more on ‘strength and growth,’ or ‘challenge

and skills,’ as opposed to ‘initiative and planning,’ or ‘global engagement.’ If I were to do CAS

again, I think I would have definitely get involved in experiences that would involve more

‘initiative,’ as well as ‘global engagement;’ those two learning outcomes were two I could have

definitely improved on. Time-management was not a big issue for me as it was for others,

because I had naturally done activities that had gained my interest, so I did not see my

experiences as ‘sacrificed’ time for studying; rather I saw it as an opportunity to take a break from

the rigorous academic lifestyle and better myself. Another aspect I found really difficult with CAS,

particularly in the second year, was finding the motivation to continue the long-term

commitments I had. The 2018-2019 academic year was a difficult year for me personally, due to a
lot stressful issues about applying to colleges and I found it difficult to persevere and continue a

lot of my activities.

The activities that I found the most fulfilling and enjoyable were: USPEAK Vietnam

(creativity), Pegasus House Captain (activity), and Animal Care (service). I think the most fulfilling

experience for creativity was the USPEAK Vietnam as I got to work with many talented people.

This experience was particular significance to me because it was my last year of high school and I

wanted to do something spontaneous as years prior to this experience, I was quite quiet. This

aspect of activity has helped me build the confidence and skills that allowed me to really grow

and develop into an ‘adult,’ and paved the path for me to take part in bigger, more demanding

roles that required leadership skills, such as ‘House Captain of AIS 2017-2018.’ Being a House

Captain was particularly fulfilling experience for me because I was able to get involved with a core

aspect of the school, that being House spirit. Being a captain of the House really developed my

appreciation and value for sport, as I saw the ways in which competition and team-work

positively contributed to the school community. It also enabled me to develop skills as an athlete,

where I was constantly challenged by the different events, such as the ‘House Dance,’ something I

would never typically participate in, as well as develop skills as an organizer, where I was one of

the main forces driving the House events, along with my fellow co-captains. Although we weren’t

always victorious, memories of working together as a team and trying our best. I was definitely

able to learn new leadership skills, as well as improve my existing skills such as public speaking.

This role to me was definitely challenging, as I felt that more people than ever were watching me,

so I felt the need to set a constant good example, which bettered me as a person. Additionally,

being able to support my peers, and make connections with the younger year levels was fulfilling

to me, as I truly felt I was making an impact on the school community. This experience was also

the most difficult for me due to the sheer amount of commitment and perseverance it required,

and oftentimes I found it difficult to maintain the ‘appearance,’ due to my own difficulties. I was

able to learn the importance of establishing connections and learnt to value my ability to assist

and lead others, as well as learning how to organize events that benefits all. Another experience
that I found fulfilling was taking care of an animal that I have never thought I would take care of.

Although this was a challenging task for me, I got to overcome my fear of amphibians (somewhat)

since I was incredibly unconfident. Over time, I would say I have gotten more comfortable and

more confident around Pacman though I never did have the full courage and confident to hold it.

This activity has taught me to push my boundaries and challenged my confident.

Through CAS, I have gained a better awareness of my strengths and weaknesses as an

individual, as an carer, as a leader, as member of the community, and as an athlete. I believe that I

was able to successfully accomplish these different roles, but something I think I need to improve

on this consistency at being all three people, as well as being more headstrong, and initiating

events that benefits both myself and the wider community. As a part of my CAS, I think I could

have joined some more sport teams to improve myself as an athlete, as I did not get to

experience the competitive environment as much as I wanted to. I think more out-of-school

experiences would have definitely benefitted me and improve my social skills in unfamiliar

settings. Overall, I am proud of the experiences and my achievements through my CAS

experiences, and I do believe CAS was a vital part of my IBDP experience, allowing me to become

a well-rounded individual with new aspirations and motivation that will assist me in future

endeavours.