The company from NLS made the event especially meaningful as we took the opportunity to showcase the “Dream & Achieve” programme – Mensa Singapore’s community outreach initiative at NLS which had ended in May 2009. The programme is a three-part lecture series delivered by four prominent speakers. It seeks to engage, inspire and motivate 40 graduating students from NLS, encouraging them to have the confidence to have dreams about their future as well as the resoluteness to see them through.

The programme was well-received by the students. Mr. Albertt Chua, the teacher in charge of NLS’s curriculum, also commented that the key points highlighted by the speakers have reinforced what the school had been teaching the students.

In his speech, Mensa Singapore president Mr. Patrick Khoo noted the club’s history of working with external organisations such as the Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home and the YMCA of Singapore in serving the needs of the community. Even as the club has been constantly evolving through the years, Patrick expressed his hope that we will continue to grow into a more mature and outward-looking organisation, especially now that we can no longer call ourselves a “teenager”.

Mrs. Chua-Lim Yen Ching, principal of NLS, also gave a speech, sharing the mission and cause of the school with heart-warming stories of how the lives of the students have been changed through various school programmes.

During the evening, our guests were treated to two enthralling performances by NLS students. The first one was a dance item by 12 NLS girls. These girls came up with the dance with the help of a counsellor. They practiced the dance on their own and had to revise their steps at the last minute to suit the dimensions of the stage.

The next performance consisted of two songs rendered by Lydia Ang, a student who joined NLS in 2008. Lydia has a medical condition, but always remains cheerful nonetheless. She has a talent in singing. When asked by the principal what her wish was, she replied that she had two – the first one was to work part-time in the school to earn some money for her family, and the second one was to perform in front of a crowd. On that very evening, our guests witnessed the fulfillment of her second wish. Thoroughly delighted by her almost angelic voice, they promptly accorded her a rapturous ovation at the end of her performance.

After the two performances, our guests were invited to view exquisite batik art pieces and some bottle art created by NLS students that were on display in the room. It was not long before most of the art pieces were sold. The contributions received that evening would go to the school’s students’ assistance fund which provides meal coupons, transport allowances and school uniforms to needy students.

The night ended with a series of group photo taking to mark yet another significant milestone in the history of Mensa Singapore. These photos would be useful when it is time for us to celebrate our 30th anniversary, gently reminding us of the good work that we have done in 2009 and how we would proceed from here.

The first session was held on 28 April 2009, which consist of the first two lectures. The first lecture was conducted by Ms Vivian Claire Liu, Founding Director of PhilanthropyWorks on the topic “Finding your calling”. This lecture helps the students to be more aware of what they want to do in the future. Henry Kissinger once said “If you do not know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.” Having a clear vision of the future gives the students a sense of direction and a goal to move towards.

The second lecture was conducted by Mr Samuel Chia, Managing Director of NYDC Café and Restaurant on the topic “Entrepreneurship”. Mr Chia shared his life experience with the students, like the importance of education, how he overcome failure and setbacks by believing in himself. He also stressed importance of continual self improvement, as technical skills alone are not sufficient to make one successful - soft skills are equally important.

Overall it is a very inspiring and motivating session for the students and both lectures complimented each other. One is about knowing where to go and the other is about how to get there. The next session of the Dream & Achieve program will touch more on soft skills.