From mentee to peer mentor, and now newly minted Chairman of Pioneer House (PH) Student Council (SC), Jiang Guan’s road to leadership is also a journey of self-discovery. Though meandering with learning curves, the year three Business major is ready to be the voice of students as he continues to manoeuvre each bend with grace.
“I did not dare to speak up in a group. I was more inclined to be a follower, but as I grew older I started to take a more active position in the group offering suggestions and in my own personal way, influence the team,” Jiang Guan talks about his younger self. However, after he got used to being vocal during his junior college days, Jiang Guan realised that forcefully pushing forth his points only resulted in aversion from his peers. “Then, I learnt the best way to be heard is to actively listen, because it is not how much we say that matters but how much people listen to us,” he reflects.
Serving as a firefighting section commander during his National Service days, Jiang Guan had the opportunity to lead in real life operations such as ship fires. Having gone through this undoubtedly daunting rite of passage, Jiang Guan was still like any other new kid on the block when it came to his new phase of life as a freshman.
Etched deeply in Jiang Guan’s mind is the support he received from his peer mentor then. When faced with uncertainties or in need of guidance, he was given a sense of security from his mentor that helped ease him into the unfamiliar yet exciting new phase of life. Later through his two years of residency, Jiang Guan became a discerning observer of PH’s developments and witnessed the gradual physical transformation of the House into an abode students are proud to call their home. Gaining strength from his mentorship experience and knowing he can make a real difference ignited his drive to do more for other students.
“When I first came to PH, I was more on the receiving end of things. The biggest change is when I started giving back and started helping other people in my own capacity,” Jiang Guan shares.
Describing his leadership style as democratic, the peer mentor turned Chairman of PHSC attributes his understanding of students’ needs to keeping his ear to the ground. Through feedback from his mentees, he was able to gain clearer perspectives on what residents are looking for. Creating more interest groups and meaningful events across various sports and hobbies is priority on the SC’s agenda to promote a vibrant and engaging resident culture, and strengthen their sense of belonging. While there have been resident-initiated ideas, Jiang Guan noticed the absence of a channel to translate those ideas into concrete proposals.
Jiang Guan says, “The management has done a remarkable job in transforming PH to what it is today. Building on that foundation, we are now looking into the process of submitting new ideas through the SC to make it a more seamless process. We hope to bridge the gap between students and management, and implement projects to better the hall experience for the residents.”
Guiding freshmen in setting the right goals, to giving seniors opportunities to lead and serve, Jiang Guan also wants to spread values of care and respect for one another as he endeavours to support every resident in making the most of their NUS journey. Drawing inspiration from his father who works tirelessly to provide for their family, he is prepared to give PH his all.
Contributor(s)
Jiang Guan