This article is for:
- alumni association member wondering whether joining the committee is worth it,
- volunteers who feel intimidated stepping into unfamiliar environments,
- and anyone curious about how community work can unexpectedly shape your life.
This is not a story about achievements.
It is a story about what can happen when ordinary people choose to participate, help out, and slowly become part of something bigger than themselves.
And perhaps, if you are considering volunteering or joining an alumni association yourself, parts of this journey may one day become yours too.
It Started with a Very Practical Reason
If I am being completely honest, my first interaction with the association was not driven by some grand vision of volunteerism or leadership.
Like many parents, I simply wanted to improve the chances of registering my children into my alma mater, Nan Hua Primary School.
So I paid the $500 alumni membership fee and joined the association.
Simple as that.
At that point, I was just another alumnus trying to give my children an opportunity to study in the same school I once did.
I did not know then that this decision would eventually become one of the most meaningful community experiences of my adult life.
Returning to School After So Many Years
In September 2020, I attended my very first AGM.
It was also my first time returning to the school after many years.
The school was no longer at the same location I studied in as a child. The classrooms were different. The surroundings had changed. The buildings were newer.
But strangely, some things still felt deeply familiar.
I remember stepping into the school hall and seeing the school’s 8 values displayed prominently.
Suddenly, memories came flooding back like an old cassette tape being replayed after decades in storage.
For a moment, I was no longer an adult juggling work, family, and responsibilities.
I was just a Nan Hua Pri Sch student again.
Raising My Hand Without Really Knowing What I Was Doing
I have always been someone who is curious and naturally wants to help.
So during the AGM, when there was an opportunity to join the committee, I raised my hand.
To be honest, it felt intimidating at first.
Many committee members were seniors with years of experience. I wondered whether I could contribute meaningfully at all.
But after joining, I quickly realised something important:
The association was not powered by professionals.
It was powered by volunteers.
Ordinary people with full-time jobs, families, commitments, and responsibilities… who still chose to dedicate part of their lives to support the school and alumni community.
That realisation changed how I saw volunteer work.
Behind every event, every gathering, every initiative, there were people quietly sacrificing their weekends, evenings, and personal time.
Not because they had to.
But because they cared.
From “Helping with the Website” to Running Events
I initially started by helping with areas I was familiar with.
- Website updates
- Social media content
- Digital communication
But volunteer organisations are a little like a kampung buffet table 🍲.
You arrive intending to take one small portion, then somehow end up helping to cook, serve drinks, rearrange tables, and wash dishes.
Before long, I became deeply involved in organising events.
And that was where the real learning began.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to support and organise many meaningful activities:
- Annual General Meetings
- Fund-raising luncheons
- Primary 1 orientation support
- Alumni engagement activities
- Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations
- Community game booths and food catering events
Some events were small.
Some were massive.
Some were stressful enough to make Excel spreadsheets appear in my dreams at 2am.
But every single one taught me something valuable.
A Safe Space to Learn Leadership
Looking back now, I realise the association gave me something incredibly precious:
A relatively safe environment to grow.
In many workplaces, opportunities to lead large initiatives can be difficult to access without seniority or formal authority.
But volunteer organisations are different.
If you are willing to step up, contribute, and learn, opportunities naturally appear.
Through the association, I learned:
- Event planning
- Stakeholder management
- Volunteer coordination
- Public communications
- Budget handling
- Conflict resolution
- Leadership under uncertainty
Most importantly, I learned how to lead people who are not obligated to follow you.
That changes everything.
In volunteer organisations, nobody is there because of salary or KPI.
People stay because they believe in the purpose and enjoy working together.
That requires a very different style of leadership.
Less authority.
More empathy.
Less command.
More inspiration.
Unexpectedly Helping My Career
One thing I never expected was how much these experiences would positively affect my professional life.
The confidence and exposure I gained through the association gave me courage to volunteer for larger responsibilities at work as well.
Eventually, I became the social committee chairperson for my department at work, organising activities and engagement programmes for more than 400 colleagues.
Together with colleagues from different teams, we built year-long engagement programmes, organised large-scale events, managed budgets, and worked directly with senior management and Managing Directors.
These were opportunities I would probably never have received through my normal job scope alone.
Ironically, volunteering outside work helped me grow faster within work.
It improved my confidence, visibility, communication skills, and ability to lead cross-functional teams.
I genuinely believe these experiences contributed to my recent career growth and promotion.
Bringing Community Building into My Estate
The impact did not stop at work.
I found myself replicating many of the ideas and experiences from the association within my own residential estate.
- Community events
- Festive gatherings
- Neighbourhood engagement
- Resident activities
- Family-friendly celebrations
Creating spaces for people to interact and connect.
Over time, this journey eventually led me to becoming the MCST chairperson of my estate as well.
It is funny how life works sometimes.
A decision originally made to support my children’s school admission somehow transformed into years of community leadership experiences across multiple areas of life.
Becoming Chairperson and Passing the Baton
From joining the committee in 2020…
To becoming Chairperson in 2024…
And finally, on 16 May 2026, passing the Chairpersonship baton to the next person.
The journey feels surreal.
There were many tiring moments.
Many late nights.
Many difficult discussions.
Many operational headaches hidden behind smiling event photographs.
But there were also friendships, laughter, teamwork, cultural experiences, and memories I will probably carry for the rest of my life.
Volunteer work is rarely glamorous.
But it is deeply human.
And perhaps that is exactly why I will continue to help out in the committee for years to come.
Why Human Connection Still Matters
We are living in a world moving at unprecedented technological speed.
Artificial intelligence.
Automation.
Algorithms.
Digital convenience.
Everything is becoming faster.
But through all these years in volunteer work and community building, I have become even more convinced of one thing:
Human-to-human interaction remains one of the most important parts of being human.
A shared meal.
A conversation.
A celebration.
A child laughing at a game booth.
Volunteers staying back after an event to pack chairs together.
These moments may seem small.
But they are the invisible threads that hold communities together.
Technology can accelerate communication.
But it cannot replace genuine human connection.
And perhaps that is why I will always continue building communities wherever I go.
Final Reflection
When I first joined the alumni association, I thought I was simply paying $500 for my children’s school registration pathway.
I never expected it would give me:
- leadership opportunities,
- lifelong friendships,
- career growth,
- community experiences,
- cultural exposure,
- and memories that I will one day proudly share with my grandchildren.
Some journeys begin with careful planning.
Others begin with a simple raised hand at an AGM.
This was one of mine.
