Leaders for Change: A journey of compassion and empowerment

Our partnership with TFM has flourished since our first collaboration last year. Six months ago, TFM approached us with an incredible opportunity: to host their Annual Student Summit—one of the largest of its kind in Malaysia, and possibly in Southeast Asia. Thanks to the support of Dr. O’Connor and Dr. Brown, the project received the green light, and planning began in earnest.

One of the Summit’s unique aspects was its student-led organizational structure. Five of our students—Hao Zheng, Viktor, Amelia, Chaebin, and Anishka—were selected to join the planning committee alongside 18 other TFM student leaders. Watching these students, many of whom I’ve known since Year 7, step into leadership roles and thrive was a moment of immense pride for me. Since September, these students have dedicated their Thursday evenings to planning the summit, working on tasks such as communications, workshop coordination, logistics, emceeing, and more. Their dedication has been truly inspiring.

Today, I’m thrilled to share not only some photographs from the summit but also reflections from these young leaders about their experiences. Below, you’ll find their personal accounts, showcasing their growth, challenges, and achievements.

From Hao Zheng

I felt incredibly grateful and excited to be part of the TFM Student Summit. The planning process and weekly meetings with the organizing committee were engaging and gave me the chance to meet new people. Emceeing the summit dinner was a particularly transformative experience for me.

Initially, I was nervous, worried about making mistakes on stage, but as the evening progressed, I grew more confident and even began to enjoy myself. It was fulfilling to speak at an event where I could advocate for a cause I deeply believe in—that everyone deserves access to quality education. Seeing the audience dressed in vibrant, multicultural attire was a powerful reminder of the diversity and unity we celebrated that night.

The evening featured inspiring performances and discussions. One moment that stood out was witnessing participants connect, share their cultures, and learn from one another. Being an emcee was more than just a public-speaking role—it was an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful. This experience reminded me of the power of diversity and the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels heard and valued.

From Viktor

Organizing a summit of this scale was no small feat. As the workstream leader for logistics, I had a front-row seat to both the challenges and rewards of planning such an event.

From the formal dinner to the main summit, every moment required meticulous preparation. My teammates and I worked tirelessly to perfect every detail—from seating arrangements to catering—under the guidance of TFM staff. Despite last-minute surprises, which are inevitable in event planning, seeing the dinner come alive with energy and conversation made all the effort worthwhile.

The next day’s summit brought even more challenges, especially managing the schedule and ensuring everything ran smoothly. Watching participants dive into discussions and collaborate reminded me why we worked so hard. Our logistics efforts weren’t just about managing details; they were about creating an environment where leadership and ideas could thrive.

This experience taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of attention to detail. I’m grateful for the support of my mentors and teammates throughout this journey. To anyone planning an event of this scale, my advice is to embrace the challenge—it’s a journey of growth and fulfilment.

From Amelia, Anishka, and Chaebin

The TFM Student Summit was a platform for empowering student voices through dialogue, workshops, and inspirational speeches. Highlights included keynote sessions from leaders like Ong Yong Xun, founder of JomStudy, and Shaheen Mistri, CEO of Teach for India. Here are some reflections:

From Amelia

The TFM Student Summit at BSKL was an unforgettable experience that brought together over 300 students from across Malaysia for leadership workshops, project exhibitions, and inspirational speeches by distinguished speakers, including a US ambassador and a representative from Teach for India. As the workstream lead for marketing, I collaborated with my team and mentor to design merchandise, create social media posts, and conduct interviews. All of which taught me valuable lessons in teamwork and organisation. For me, the highlight of the summit was the cultural dinner (where everyone dressed in traditional attire) as my ‘mentor’ entrusted me with a camera and I spent the evening capturing photographs of everyone. Moreover, I found the exhibition especially inspiring. There were dozens of projects showcased by students from different schools. These projects ranged from saving the Malayan Tapir to promoting online safety. The passion and dedication behind each of these projects were truly inspiring, reminding me of the impact we can make. Overall, the summit was a stark demonstration of the impact leadership and student voice can make.

From Anishka

Sitting in the auditorium, surrounded by 350 participants, was an absolutely surreal and humbling experience. It wasn’t just the sheer number of people present that struck me, but the shared energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to a common goal: striving for a better future. In that moment, I was reminded of the incredible potential we have as individuals and as a community when we collaborate and pool our efforts toward creating meaningful change.

One of the most memorable highlights for me was organising the exhibition, where students could display their innovative projects and ideas. It was truly inspiring to see the passion and dedication each participant poured into their work. The exhibition wasn’t just about showcasing projects; it was a celebration of creativity, hard work, and the belief that every individual has the power to make a difference.

Watching the students from different schools all over Malaysia present their ideas with such confidence and purpose left me with a heartfelt sense of hope for what we can achieve together when we support and uplift one another, listen to each other and work together.

The entire experience of being part of the organising committee for the summit showed me how important it is to work together as a group, especially when everyone shares the same goal. It’s an experience I’ll never forget because it is testament of how much we can achieve when we support each other and work as a team toward something meaningful and powerful, despite our age.

From Chaebin

Planning and leading leadership sessions was both challenging and inspiring. I introduced participants to the BIL framework—Bold, Impactful, Long-lasting—and facilitated discussions on taking meaningful action. Initially, I was nervous about how my ideas would be received and whether I could engage everyone effectively. However, as the session progressed, I grew more confident, encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm in the room. Listening to diverse perspectives and collaborating with students and teachers from various backgrounds was eye-opening. The exchange of ideas inspired the participants and helped me develop my leadership skills. It was exciting to see how different viewpoints converged to create fresh ideas, reaffirming my belief in the power of youth-led change. 

One challenge I faced was making my message clear and relatable. To address this, I used real-life stories to illustrate the concepts of being bold, impactful, and long-lasting. By the end of the session, I realised that leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about uniting people, sharing ideas, and fostering a space where everyone feels valued. This experience demonstrated that even small actions, when guided by collaboration and purpose, can lead to significant and enduring change.

This summit was not just an event; it was a movement. It showcased the extraordinary potential of students when given the platform to lead, collaborate, and inspire. I hope these reflections encourage more of our community to engage in opportunities that foster leadership and compassion. Shaheen Mistri in her address to the delegate argued that the future of our world is our student present. Today, I cannot be more proud of our leaders for change for all the action they are taking, be that with TFM but also with their continuous action with WWF, AKC, Second chance animal shelter, CWO refugee school, Marecet.

Mr L'Hostis