Creativity
A personal goal of mine is to be proficient in Python by the end of the year. Python is a programming language that is becoming more and more used as time goes on. It is a useful skill to have in my back pocket whether I’ll be using it regularly or not. As the world progresses we will be working more and more without computers and in order to work efficiently. To work towards this goal, I’ve found many free online courses to learn Python and how to apply the skills learned to practical work. I aim to practice at least 20 minutes a day using the courses and to hopefully start a bigger project with the skills I’ve learned.
Another personal goal is to learn ASL. I was first introduced to ASL in 1st grade by my teacher. She would make us learn basic ASL so that we could communicate with people who were hearing impaired. As someone who likes to preach inclusivity, I thought that it should be important that I found a way to communicate with those who can’t hear. Similar to my goals with python, I plan to try and practice every day, as I could forget easily. I’ve made progress by learning the alphabet which is a big step. I hope by the end of the year I will be able to have basic conversations using ASL.
Learning and practicing these two skills have been really enjoyable so far. They are cathartic activities that give me a small break from the overwhelming amount of school while still being productive and actively bettering myself.
Activity:
Activity is something that I would like to focus more on this year. Last year due to the COVID 19 outbreak, I was not as active as I would like to be. This year, I hope for that to change. I want to be more active this year in as many ways as I can. Whether it be in school or in my own time. So far I’ve just been playing badminton with a friend every weekend just to train and make sure we haven’t lost our touch of the game, and I play volleyball with my peers during the breaks at school. If SAISA sports happen this year I intend to participate to be as active as I can. In addition to this, something I want to get into creating a regular workout routine. As I become more independent in preparations for uni, I want to leave Sri Lanka with a bucket of good habits so that when I’m living by myself, I’ll be healthy and I’ll feel my best. I’ve been following a workout calendar that I found online that has easy workouts to complete. I really enjoy that small time that I have to work out as it takes my mind off whatever is bothering me and it is a great stress reliever for me. Especially as the year gets tougher, this reliever will be more beneficial.
Service:
Due to the situation we are in right now, service activities have stopped for now, and going out and interacting with other people on my own time isn’t the best idea, however, there are so many other ways that I could help online. I’ve looked into several organizations that strive for things that mean a lot to me, such as the fair treatment of workers in garments factories, environmental issues, and educating the children who don’t have access to education as we do.
I’ve joined an organization based in the Philippines that intends to bring art to marginalized kids. They are expanding their program to Sri Lanka and I intended to participate a lot when they do.