Helloo there! I’m Minji, and I’m so pleased to “meet” you! 😆 This newsletter compiles summaries of important events and personal growth that I have undergone these past two months. As always, the start of a brand new school year was hectic, especially with the added chaos of COVID-19 and new activities.
A Little Introduction :)
I am a 15-year-old Grade 10 student and Innovator at The Knowledge Society (TKS). In my free time, I love to run, make videos, and tumble. I also love solving problems, and am super interested in learning more about the application of AI in important issues such as climate change, food waste and public safety!
✅ TKS
As previously mentioned, in my introduction, I am an innovator at TKS. This is a program that gives an environment to explore and discover interests.
However, I strongly believe that the best part about TKS is the life-long connection with like-minded students. Through “brain dates”, or video calls with fellow students, and sessions, both in-person, as well as virtual, I was able to meet a supportive group of people to discuss ideas and interests with. From the very first session, the room was full of excited, ambitious energy and everyone brought great initiative!
🌐 Global Hackathon
Last October, my team (consisting of two Innovators from Toronto and Las Vegas, as well as three fellow Vancouver Innovators) participated in the TKS Global Hackathon, where our challenge was to apply AI to real world problems. My group came up with the idea for QuickSafe, an app that allows users to find the safest routes using heatmaps, and offers tips and emergency features for safety.
This week-long hackathon required efficient communication, critical and creative thinking, and outreach, and tested our ability to manage tasks even in a virtual setting. In order to collect user-accurate data, our team also consulted over 150+ individuals through surveys and interviews (distanced, of course!), which was a large part of our project and helped contribute to the factors for our app, such as the investigation for well-lit streets over darker ones.
🇺🇳 MUN
This past October, I virtually took part in my first two Model UN conferences, SWCHSMUN and VYMUN, at which I received the Most Diplomatic award as well as the Outstanding Delegate award.
While MUN does not focus directly on emerging technologies, it has provided me with exposure to other important world issues and flaws that can be fixed or improved with these technologies. It has also helped to improve my confidence and improvisation skills when expressing my ideas, which I believe is a skill that will continue to benefit me in future presentations through TKS, school, and other events!
Takeaways 📝
September and October have been busy, BUSY months! Some key takeaways that I would like to take away from my experiences are;
Communication is important: 🗣️
While many events are switching to online (such as school, partly), it is important that one still remains accountable. Let’s be honest, it’s easy to daydream about your celebrity crush when you’re not face-to-face with the person on the other side. However, engaging in conversation is super important, especially in an event like the Global Hackathon. There were definitely some minor obstacles with time zones, technical difficulties, and scheduling conflicts, but in the end, effective communication and discussion is what helped my group to come up with valuable, creative ideas.
Don’t overload yourself by being a perfectionist. Take it steady:
My schedule for these two months were jam-packed, and although I tried my best to manage my time, I felt that I was missing out and wasn’t progressing as fast as I liked in certain aspects of my life. I strongly believe that this is due to my treating of little tasks with more importance than necessary. It is important to let out a deep breath, and to prioritize your work. An optional worksheet should not be holding you back from taking the time to learn more about a topic you are passionate about.
Set Reminders: ⏰
Going hand-in-hand with #1 and 2, it is easy to get lost in our new, busy lifestyle, as things switch online. Accountability is an important value, and these past months have helped me to realize the importance of digital reminders and planners. This also helps with prioritizing tasks and managing time!
You can not control natural events:
I was not feeling well for the 2 weeks from late September to October. This severely affected my agenda for what I wanted to complete, and I didn’t feel well enough to participate in school, even virtually.
While it is important to hold yourself accountable, this has been a slap to the face that some things in life cannot be controlled. All you can do is work your butt off the steep cliff that exponentially increases as you catch up until you reach the top, and that’s okay, that’s one of the many wonders and challenges that life chucks at you.
This was my monthly snapshot for September and October. Please subscribe to be notified of the next upload. Thank you for reading, and see you all next month! 😎
-Minji