“I used to be a terrible student”, said Lim Jack Kin, in his valedictory speech at the Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) graduation ceremony. “In secondary school, I had failed my exams for multiple subjects. My desk and my bed were used for the same thing (and it wasn’t studying). My idea of doing homework was to stare regretfully at my textbooks while I played video games. While my friends were stressing out over getting 80s instead of 90s, I didn’t care if I got a 30 or a 40. I had no one to blame but myself.
The reason I’m telling you all of this is to highlight the kind of opportunities for growth that CIMP gave me. From day one, my energy was engaged wholeheartedly in the subject matter by teachers who loved their job about as much as they loved their students. Along with active class discussion and group projects, I managed to do pretty well for myself. If, two years ago, you told me that I’d be standing here, being rewarded for academic excellence, I’d probably have laughed.
The most valuable thing I learned at CIMP wasn’t geography or history or Shakespeare. It wasn’t just remembering information and knowing what to think, but rather, knowing how to think about the things we learned”, explained nineteen year old Lim.
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| Valedictorian Lim Jack kin with Puan Sri Datin Seri Dr Susan Cheah |
