Staff At Work

Career decisions are one of the bigger decisions we make in life. Hear from those who decided to take the plunge to make building young leaders a part of their career

Halogen Staff At Work, Building Lives - Janice Tan

“Having been on the Halogen staff team for 6 years, my best memories revolve around my interactions with youths and volunteers. I see the potential they have as leaders and am honoured to be able to play a part in their developmental journey. The volunteers’ passion and willingness to contribute to this cause has inspired and kept me on this path. The spirit of excellence that Halogen undertakes has impacted my work ethic deeply too.

The whole experience has greatly reinforced my belief that there is an important need to develop young lives holistically. This has motivated me to pursue a career with the Ministry of Education as a secondary school teacher.”

Halogen Staff At Work, Building Lives - Vanessa Yap

“When I was trained by Halogen in 2006, I thought it was interesting for people to believe in youths especially in those whom others don’t see a need to. In 2007, I decided to intern with Halogen. That sparked off a journey of a pursuit of my passion – the whole idea of being able to impact so many youths and to bring education and action together was perfect.

Halogen was the springboard for the things that I choose to concentrate and work on, including my education of Applied Drama and Psychology. This major has allowed me to have a clearer understanding about individuals and their behaviour. Applied drama creates a space for a creative approach, which I hope to bring to Halogen!”

Halogen Staff At Work, Building Lives - Shraddha Iyer

“The highlight of my experience with Halogen during my internship was to see youth being challenged, inspired and encouraged everyday to discover the leader in themselves. While constantly mentoring and guiding, Halogen gives you the space and the opportunity to explore and learn during the process.

From planning and understanding the importance of small details and working as a team, to seeing an event through successfully, I took back a lot of knowledge and new skills at the end of my internship. They also supported me by being the first step in my journey towards starting my own youth leadership organisation in India.”

Halogen Staff At Work, Building Lives - Lin Xuehu

“It’s hard to fully understand a young person’s potential when you’re raised in a world that measures a person’s worth based on his academic and career achievements. It was hard for me to imagine how a Normal Technical student could rise to a position of power in society.

After interning with Halogen in 2011, I believe that more than anything, Halogen teaches all of us to break our lazy assumptions about the underdogs. Youth leadership in Halogen isn’t just about positions of power; it’s about taking ownership and responsibility of your environment. And that’s a life skill that you don’t necessarily get with a university education; a skill that will make the difference between a generation of passive complainers and a generation of hands-on go-getters.”

Halogen Staff At Work, Building Lives - Pearl Pang

“Halogen is a special place! It’s a gathering place of young people – including those young at heart – who believe in a cause. Whether we are running an event, shooting a video, training a class, designing the latest catalogue, or preparing a cheque for the caterer, each of us is building young leaders and changing the world in our own way. It’s really cool to be part of this mission-driven community!

Martin’s cry strikes a chord in my heart – “Don’t settle!”. He continually challenges us to give our best and think beyond what is possible, and not to limit ourselves just because we are a charity. As a small and lean organisation, we have punched above our weight to achieve outstanding results.”


Article by Faith Jinghui Luo