JumpStarted for 2008

Once again, JumpStart has come quietly and left with a bang. Simple in its mission - to bond all fellow newies @ers of 08/09 so that they can learn and contribute to this wonderful organisation. It has inspired the newies - broaden their pespectives, informed them availability of opportunities, familarized them to the COE (Culture of Excellence).

My takeback for this conference is once again a period of reflection, to see the relavence of @ with my life. Stories by the Chair Radu - about discovering that one must change one's attitude in order to understand the true value of the knowledge that he's gaining. About the stone mason who sees crafting a block of stone as crafting of one's destiny. Also, the sharing of stories from the newies has sort of humbled my learning experience, knowing that each member has a different life experience which we all could learn from - teachers becoming students and students, teachers.

I believe the value of @ is not of impacting one's life externaly, but rather, it seeks to influence others by posing its members questions, questions that help its member to shape their own beliefs, their attitude, such that the changes one can observe in an AIESECer is not outside in but inside out.

And I believe that this short conference has JumpStart the newies' life in @ - a journey in understanding themselves and to take action on becoming what they set out to be.