At Middleton International School, we believe in nurturing students who are not only academically strong but also compassionate, resilient, and driven to make a difference. The National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) provides our students with the opportunity to challenge themselves, give back to the community, and grow as individuals.
In this blog, we speak to our student, Shreya Charpe from Grade 12, who shares her NYAA journey—her experiences, challenges, and the valuable lessons she has learnt along the way. We hope her reflections inspire others to embrace new opportunities and embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.
What inspired you to take on the NYAA challenge?
If I am being completely honest, at first I only wanted to complete NYAA for my college application but as time went on and I started going on nature walks and to soup kitchens I fell in love with the idea of helping people and exploring nature I started looking forward to going out to do these activities.
Service learning made a huge impact on me as I just loved the idea of being able to help people even if it meant getting up at 6 am and travelling to the other side of Singapore.
"Seeing a lot of people come together to prepare meals for the less fortunate and giving it to them for free truly shows how much we can help others by just offering them the bare minimum necessities such as food."
Briefly share the process and some key highlights of your experience.
For service learning, we had to contact different non-profit organisations and ask them how we could contribute and help them out whenever possible. For example, we did Ride for Rations, which was suggested by our science teacher. We had to go around delivering rations to houses and pack different baskets with daily necessities.
"One story that really inspired me was that there was this one lady which was struggling to walk and was really unwell and didn't have that much money but she still decided to let someone who needs the rations more have her spot; showing how someone who's struggling still decided to take care of the others."
For outdoor appreciation and healthy living, it was much easier as I would just pick a new sport or a sport I was interested in and go play it. Nature walks were quite interesting as well, as I had no idea prior to this that such beautiful places filled with nature existed in Singapore. I had always imagined Singapore to just be filled with buildings, so going on those trails made me see a new side that I didn’t know existed.
"I love to cycle around the reservoir as I can feel the breeze while going at a fast space along with looking at the trees and nature around me."
"Learning a new sport was really exciting and fun especially since it's a sport that's out of my comfort zone."
What was the biggest challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?
When we were first introduced to the NYAA programme in Grade 9, I had no idea where to start or what activities to choose for each section. At first, waking up early to volunteer at soup kitchens or clean beaches didn’t seem like the ideal way to spend my holidays. However, as I continued to participate and visit these places more often, I began to develop a genuine passion for giving back to the community. Whether it was helping out at soup kitchens or distributing rations, I found great fulfilment in these acts of service and wanted to do it more often.
"We were able to gather around 29Kgs of waste. We could have done more by spreading awareness to people to let them know how to dispose their trash correctly. This small act allowed us to be motivated to come back another time and help clean the beach again with a bigger group."
How has the NYAA shaped your perspective on leadership, service, or personal growth?
NYAA only requires you to complete a certain number of volunteer hours, but through those hours, I was inspired to contribute even more. I would love to continue volunteering and helping people after my exams. Additionally, it has motivated me to think about ways to start my own non-profit organisations in the future.
"My friends and I decided to interview the founder of Ride for Rations and learn more about her and the organisation. After interviewing them, we made a Facebook post for their official account to let more people know about the organisation and let them learn about the great things they are doing."
Any advice for your juniors who may want to take on the NYAA challenge?
Singapore may appear to be a wealthy, clean country, but there are still many places and people in need of our help. At first, I didn’t realise that beaches in Singapore could be dirty or that some people were struggling to make ends meet. However, through this programme, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of this side of Singapore. I’ve learned that even small contributions can make a huge difference.
Although the hours might seem long, it can actually be a lot of fun once you get involved. Personally, my experience was even better because I had the opportunity to do it with my friends. I suggest trying different activities with them—who knows, you might enjoy it more than you expect, without worrying about the number of hours.
At Middleton, we believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals.
Discover how we integrate academics, character-building, and service learning.