Hi! I’m Allison Chen. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in Kaohsiung. Currently, I am 15 years old.
Signing up for the IB Diploma Program was like signing an agreement form that will commit two years of my time to rigorous studying. Of course, I was introduced to the DP Core class I would have to finish in order to complete this program. All I knew were terms such as CAS, TOK, EE, which translated into “unfamiliar requirements that I am afraid that I would not like.” Yet, I found myself already looking forward to DP Core class after the first week.
Creativity
I have never really considered myself an artistic person. However, I found a way to express myself creatively through my studying account on Instagram and YouTube. During freshman year, I found videos on studying and taking notes. Initially, I found them satisfying, but I just viewed them for entertainment and did not notice how inspirational they were. Then, I realized that I could also make a study account to showcase my own notes. I soon created an account on Instagram (@allyxstudies). As the Personal Project neared in my sophomore year, I decided to make a “Study With Me” video on a newly created YouTube account dedicated to education and school. I wish to continue uploading videos and pictures to my YouTube and Instagram account. Through this, I want to motivate others and show that learning can be fun.
Activity
I began attending Taekwondo lessons in 4th grade. With it starting off as an exercise outside of school, I was surprised to find myself liking it more and more. This gradual interest eventually leads one competition than another. Since then, I have competed for a little over six years. In 8th grade, I had the privilege of representing Kaohsiung city to the National Middle School Games in Taiwan. I used to train 9 hours a day on a Sunday and stay until 11 PM at the studio. I believe that participating in that specific competition was definitely a challenge especially when I am not in a special Taekwondo program at school. Unlike me, many other competitors can replace a certain class with training at school. The most recent competition I have partaken in was a day before school started this year, which was on August 9th. My goal in this CAS strand is to have Taekwondo as my ongoing exercise.
Service
For two summers (after 8th grade and sophomore year), I volunteered at the Zuosin public library near Hanshin Arena. This opportunity allowed me to give time back to my community. I felt that this volunteer activity was suitable for me because I like learning and education. The summer between my freshman year and sophomore year, I went to a Johns Hopkins’ CTY Civic Leadership Program at University of California Berkeley. This summer camp focused on learning about social issues, service, and giving back through active engagement with the community. Throughout the three-week program, I served at homeless shelters, lake clean-ups, and daycares. At school, I also have joined clubs such as Zonta club and Invisible Children. Through these clubs, I give back to my community at school. This year, I want to be committed to a longer service time.
IB Learner Profiles
When I found this image, I also found this test that could see which IB Learner Profile I am. The results said that I am open-minded.
Those I identify with:
- Open-minded – After taking the test, I do find myself identifying with the characteristics described under this Learner Profile. I have always liked looking at the different sides of an argument as much as I support my side. I also enjoy learning about different cultures.
- Inquirer – I think you don’t necessarily have to ask questions to associate with this Learner Profile. Being an inquirer can be shown through learning by myself outside of class. I often go home and try to research beyond the things that my teachers or what my coach teaches. Moreover, I value education and its impact on myself and others.
- Thinker – To be a thinker is to analyze and think deeply about decisions. Due to my tendencies to overthink, I believe I already do so on a daily basis. In all seriousness, I practice a lot of this during classes such as Literature or Mathematics where analysis is involved.
- Principled – As for this Learner Profile, I hope that I display this. I believe that taking responsibility for my actions and being honest is essential in any relationships with other people.
- Reflective – Reflection is something I do the most often. Not only do I do this during any Criterion D of a project, but also in my daily life. Especially for Taekwondo, I always have to reflect on competitions and trainings in order to improve. Given that the process of reflection is fundamental throughout the CAS process, I will be expecting more of these to do.
Those I want to improve on:
- Knowledgeable – I feel that being knowledgeable is something that can always be improved on. There is still so much more to learn. For example, I want to learn more about different aspects of Taiwan as well as the United States. Gaining understanding and perspective is important especially in the community I live in.
- Communicator – I want to be able to express myself more coherently through words and art forms. For instance, I plan on practicing music more as part of my CAS program.
- Caring – Hopefully, I am not a cold person to others, but for this Learner Profile, I want to be able to dedicate more of time to services. It is particularly helpful that service is included in CAS.
- Risk-taker – I want to be braver in regards to trying out new experiences. I feel that I have to be able to take risks before I am able to succeed.
- Balanced – Balancing my time is difficult for me to do because I tend to want to do everything. Sometimes, I would do my homework for a little bit and go into my leisure time for hours. Other times, it would be the opposite. I should not just write down the to-dos in my bullet journal; instead, I should create daily schedules for myself to keep myself accountable and on track.
I look forward to what my CAS experiences will bring me.