A Final CAS Reflection and Look Back in the last Two Years

Looking back at the two long years of the Diploma Program, a lot has both happened and changed in the CAS program. From grades to COVID, lots of stressful events have come along our bumpy journey towards graduation. Being said a lot of great things as well has happened. We have had to learn to adapt and grow from these events while but it has given us a better understanding of the uncertainties in life and how to not loose sight of what we were determined to do. In this CAS post, I will be reflecting on all of the best events and reflections during CAS while also looking at how I have grown through the two years. I hope to connect these growths with regards to the seven learning outcome.

Strength & Growth:

In regards to both my strengths and growths, lots have changed and developed in these last two years. From changes to activities to developing new skills, I have had a lot which has changed. One of my biggest accomplishments has been my commitment to maintain a healthy lifestyle working out at the gym with a trainer. In the four months training I have already begun to see changes and progression which I had not expected. But that has not been the only area which I have grown. I have had the chance to improve in my ability with photography by participating more in school events. This has only helped more in growing my skills for taking a diverse range of photos and adapting to situations.

Challenge & Skills:

When it comes to challenges, I have had to face many during these two years from the stress of the  IB to even the commitment of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. One instance of working on challenges and improving skills has been my commitment to guitar and bass for practice. During my two years I have learnt many new songs and styles allowing me to expand my range of music. I have found that it has been a difficult challenge commuting to the music as I would always find a new song which I would then want to find.

Initiative & planning:

In my two years there has been many points where I have had to step out of my comfort zone and initiate ideas or projects for the future. One such included my initiation of teaching some of the students in Gecko Net the skills needed for photography. This was an amazing experience as it allowed me to understand the process of teaching while at the same time gave me the ability to help my service as they would be the next in line with photo taking. I hope to later use these skills in the future as I find that it is important to teach as it allows me to get a deeper understanding of the subject I’m explaining.

Working Collaboratively with Others:

There have been many moments where I have had the chance to work collaboratively with other people. One of my most significant and memorable was from the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Edinburgh program allowed for those participating to learn new skills including maps, medical, etc. But one of the most significant and important parts was regarding the teamwork aspect of the program. We were trained to work as teams of  four with each of us taking on different jobs including a scout, a medic, a mapholder, etc. This was a really fun project as we had the chance to switch rolls every now and then and experience what everyone else was doing. This experience has been a really important part of my two years as it allowed me to practice my ability to participate as a group while working effectively.

Showing Perseverance and Commitment:

With perseverance and commitment, one project which I have constantly been practicing repeatedly to help perfect has been my interest in photography and editing. Over the two years I have had the chance to go around Sri Lanka to practice various styles of photography. From nature, animal, landscape to even sports! It has been an interesting experience as I have had to learn to adapt and change the way I photograph from adjusting lights, speed, etc. But by committing to practicing over and over, it has allowed me to develop and improve

Global Engagement:

There have been a variety of ways which I have had the chance to participate and engage in global issues. One of the biggest ways has been though the Gecko Net service. Though we never directly participated in many of the problems other services may have worked on, we focused on a other important part of global issues, awareness. I participated in global engagement though my photos and spreading awareness of what was happening around us while also promoting other service groups as well. One such example was the service group Room to Read when they did a book drive to a village that had been badly affected by a landslide. They participated in donating many books for education and reading purposes. As part of the Gecko Net group I came over to help photograph them and promote what was happening. But this has been one among many other times Gecko Net has been globally engaged through their ability to use social media.

Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions:

With recognizing the ethics, this one has been a tricky part to write as often this is not seen to be as obvious as other parts of the learning outcomes. As such there is not much for me to write about due to the difficulty and complexity of ethics as they differ based on person to person.