Reflecting on the Process: Hana

The process of completing a CAS Project was a challenge, but overall taught me a lot about myself and how I work with others. One thing that I believe needs to be addressed is how we had originally planned on creating a vegan cookbook but as we began to develop this idea, we realized that this was not something that everyone was fully invested in and therefore would not be something we worked hard on together. We decided to find something we were all equally as passionate about, education, and create a goal based around that.

Being able to communicate with others effectively, especially when I am having trouble completing something has always been a weakness of mine, however the responsibility of working in a group forced me to become more comfortable with this. I also learned that one of my strengths when working in a group is being able to navigate through conversations and taking creative steps to ensure success. I designed the poster for Trivia Night and this was both difficult but very enjoyable for me. It didn’t feel much like a task until I had to find space for all the necessary information on the poster. We put up the posters after school and people began commenting on them right away.

I realized over time that when kids would talk to me about Trivia Night, many did not know who the other people were based on their names on the poster. This was a challenge that we were not able to overcome until we physically went out during their lunch periods and introduced ourselves as we sold tickets. This project also gave me time for personal growth. I had never been one to approach people and ask them to purchase something from me, or even stand in front of groups of people and speak into a microphone. However, being part of Trivia Night I had to do this. It was nerve wracking at first, but it did become a lot easier. I was able to speak to people in my school from all grades with ease, and call/ meet with Julia Defeo, our outside supervisor, without being scared. I impressed myself during that time and even more so during CAS Night as we presented to students and their families. I discussed the challenges we faced, such as being able to find a date that was compatible with each and every one of us and dealing with procrastination. I also gave them advice, such as finding each other’s strengths and using them to their own benefit during the completion of their project. If I were to have changed one thing about this project, it would have been to make the event earlier in the year because a lot of people were limited from participating due to IB test review or excessive homework assignments. This was something we did not think about and were not really informed of prior to choosing a final event. It was also difficult because a lot of other CAS groups were hosting events during the same week so a lot of people were unable to attend more than one event.

However, despite our flaws I still believe we were able to create a night that many people enjoyed and were able to raise around $500 for the Y- Tutoring program and therefore it was still a success.