“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)
Looking back at some of the things I’ve accomplished, my younger self would be exceptionally proud. Hey! My name is Kanin. I’m currently a Year 11 student here at All Saints College. I’ve been attending All Saints since Year 1. I love challenging myself in all my work pushing myself to become the best person I can be. I love making a positive difference in our community and embracing leadership opportunities. In my spare time, I love to do MMA and perform Drama for an audience. Throughout my decade-long journey at the College, I’ve developed numerous capabilities and skill sets that have benefitted myself and those around me.
In my personal preference, leadership and effective communication stand out to me as vital capabilities that I’ve been able to enhance over the years through the various opportunities here at All Saints. Possessing these capabilities are beneficial, whether you’re involved in a group project, sporting team, drama production, etc.
Whilst being empathetic towards others, I’ve managed to demonstrate leadership by stepping up and volunteering for several College events. Whether I’m speaking at Remembrance Day, the Battle of Australia commemoration at RAAFA, or touring new families around our amazing campus, all these different occasions allow me to exercise my capabilities, and to grow as a person because of that.
A great leader isn’t the most intelligent person in the room. But someone who demonstrates determination and is willing to push themselves, explore the unknown, is a great listener and inspires others to be great.
I’ve displayed effective communication through being an active listener in our community and especially by using empathy to better understand the situations of others. Sometimes, I notice a peer isn’t as enthusiastic or social as usual. When that happens, I go up to them and ask if everything’s alright, and try to identify what happened and how and if I can assist them in any way. Because of this skill, I’ve connected with more people and deepened the relationships of people around me.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with Martial Arts, particularly MMA. The initial reason I started doing Martial Arts was because it seemed like a fun activity I could do with my mates. As I grew older, I realised and witnessed many other benefits that directly contributed to doing Martial Arts. After joining, my confidence drastically improved, and I was more willing to push myself further by situating myself in new and uncomfortable situations to grow and learn from them. With the newfound confidence, I was able to meet and begin to grow incredible and deepening relationships with students and instructors at my gym. Finally, Martial Arts provided me with a sense of self-growth and determination to improve myself, whether that’s inside or outside the gym. Through years of dedication and commitment, I received my Junior Black Belt in 2019. The following year, I received my Junior 2nd Degree Black Belt.
Another enormous passion of mine is the Performing Arts. I was introduced to Drama, a subject we did once a week, back in 2018. After my first lesson, I was immediately hooked and developed an ever-growing love for my newfound passion. Through Drama, I’ve worked alongside truly talented and outstanding people and assisted in creating something remarkable and engaging for the wider community to enjoy. My favourite feeling experienced through Drama is the overwhelming sense of accomplishment after you and your mates dedicate and commit yourselves to entertain and spread joy throughout the audience’s day. Drama is an excellent way to expand your social network with different year groups. It’s also a great way to stay active in the community, and I find it ridiculously fun. A few memories from Drama are some of my fondest memories from my time at the College. I highly encourage you to give it a crack, and I look forward to what lies ahead as I pursue Drama into Years 11 and 12.
Many people inspire me to push myself in different aspects of my life and enhance a particular quality. Whether that be Alexander Volkanovski (Former UFC Featherweight Champion) and his determination and resilience to push and challenge himself. Or Ryan Reynolds (Actor), with his humour and ability to engage an audience. But the role models who inspire me the most are my parents. My Mum for her creativity, humour and kindness. My Dad for his work ethic, wisdom and dependability. They both inspire me daily to wake up being a better version of myself. One day, I hope to walk in their footsteps and develop the same level of capabilities they possess.
As myself and my peers progress into Year 11 this year, I’ve selected 6 ATAR subjects that I’m passionate about and continue to wish to pursue. These ATAR subjects are English, Economics, Accounting and Finance, Drama, Modern History, and Math Methods.
As of right now, I’m still unsure about what life outside All Saints will involve when it comes time to graduate. I hope to attend University and pursue those ATAR subjects into Years 11 and 12. But whatever I decide to follow, I hope to benefit and positively impact as many lives as my pathway comes across. For now, I’m focused on making the most of opportunities, putting myself out there to grow as an individual, and making a positive difference within our College, wider community and world.
