Page 7 - E book MATER DEI 2022

School Captain

Theerakarn Suntivong

My thirteen years as a student at Mater Dei Institute have felt like a huge step of my life. When I look back to my younger
self wearing a tiny light blue kindergarten uniform, I never dreamt that one day that little girl would receive such a high
honor as being elected the School Captain. Having the opportunity to become a part of the School Student Council
of 2021 has given me a lot of wonderful experiences. Even though most things had to be changed during the Covid-19
epidemic, the motto “Serviam” that was instilled inside of me continues to drive my passion to love and serve our school.

During my experiences of the past three years, such as being a part of the Student Council, acting as the School
Vice – Captain and being a Class Representative, there was a huge array of activities, work, and events that took
place on campus. Unfortunately, this year has been such a challenging year for all of us due to the pandemic,
which led to serious restrictions in every school in Thailand. Also, because the first priority of our school is the safety
of all students, most of the school’s original activities and events, such as Student Council Camp, Sports Day,
Exhibition Day, Christmas Ceremonies, had to be cancelled. However, I believe that when something becomes
different, it does not mean it is a misfortune, it means that the time of change has come.

The Student Council traditionally works on the duties of organizing and developing student affairs. Specifically, one
of the essential roles is to manage activities and charitable events. When working as a team, 63 students and teachers
gather in council meetings where every member can freely express their opinions, suggestions, or new ideas for
the council to consider. This year the council meetings were held monthly in an adaptive way, online conferencing
via MS. Teams, to continue discussing activities and issues that lay ahead. Moreover, we agreed to offer more ways
for students to attend the council’s activities by creating an online platform, through Instagram. During the first
semester, the 2021 Student Council Environmental project occurred from our assembly discussion. We adjusted the form of our project by using our council’s Instagram account to motivate
students to better care for our environment. The message of this activity was that although our life is changing due to various factors, we should always be mindful of our precious surroundings.

If there is a sentence that describes this challenging year, I could not think of anything more suitable than the sentence I speak to myself, “Everything is temporary, but there will always be
valuable things hidden inside”. This sentence kept running through my head throughout the year. Several events had been changed into an online form, such as House Meetings and the Wai Kru
ceremony, but those countless experiences also fulfilled my life. Indeed, being a leader is not about acting dominant or being noticed by others. Instead, I believe that it is all about how persistence,
dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work make you a better person. A good leader is the person who “steps” alongside their teams, “encourages” and “stands for” everyone in the team with sincerity.

In closing, I am very proud to be a student of the Ursuline educational order. I would like to thank the Sisters, the administration, as well as my teachers, who gave me guidance, encouragement,
care and support. Also, thanks to the Student Council 2021 and other students for what we have done together and for being my perfectly imperfect team. My duty as the School Captain is
coming to an end, but my wonderful memories and the heart of Serviam will remain forever. Lastly, my wish for you all and the next Student Council is to take good care of Mater Dei, our
beloved school, with kindness and love, and I hope you all will succeed in everything you desire. Good luck!