INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2009

Our bond will never be broken, our hearts can never be replaced, each beautiful soul will live on to continue the legacy of diversity, within the Saint Thomas' community.

It's been a journey of a lifetime for me to get to where I am now. Since I was announced as the International Students' Leader for 2009, I've never looked back. The ability to lead is not all about imperative and command; it's more about being a role model, being an influence for others to look up to. However the most important thing is to be yourself, to be honest and truthful, if you can do that, leader or no leader, the fact that you are who you are makes you more than a leader. As the International Students' Leader for Saint Thomas', I have been honored to be given the opportunity to put my theory of leadership into practice. I also see a bright vision for our college. If I could set up a standard for future leaders to work on, I believe our international team's contribution to school life can grow even stronger.

First steps are always the hardest, but what made it easy for me were the boys. Alongside me, I had some volunteers who were willing to be a part of the international committee - David Nguyen, Nigel Nguyen, Jared Klopper, Jed Uy, David Correos and Patrick Gundry. With all the support from the International team, we were able to come up with many different ideas for the year that was in front of us. I remembered the very first meeting with the whole International team. I went in as a stranger but came out a respected leader. I found myself bonding with the boys the moment we were all introduced. The laughter and joy we shared in that first meeting was just what I needed to encourage me to be the best 'International Students Leader' I could be.

International meetings became a hit as all the international students were always looking forward to our next gathering. Once a term, I would organize a quiz period which gave me an opportunity to analyze each of the boy's reports and also to congratulate and award them for their successes.

With everyone's cooperation the organization for our International Week was a major success. A lot of ideas flowed through which made our schedule for International Week something to look forward to. International Assembly for 2009 was something memorable as all the boys put a lot of effort and heart getting in front of the whole school to present their cultural aspects of life. They did a magnificent job to keep our International Assembly full of enthusiasm and brought it to life. As part of the International Week I decided to take a step further and organized a special shared lunch. This seemed impossible at first. But after all the efforts that went into it, I successfully managed to invite a group of Villa Maria girls to join us for this shared lunch. We welcomed the girls with a formal haka and then entertained them with a game of basketball (the internationals dominated the court with the girl's support) before heading over to the 'Brother Dowling Centre' where the lunch took place. All went well as Saint Thomas's and Villa Maria's students enjoyed themselves, eating and chatting together. The environment was very warm and comfortable, everyone got along well and at the end of the day, all had a good time. We appreciated their visit and look forward to their invitation back to Villa Maria College.   

After a long hard week of preparation, it all came to an end. I would have to say, International Week for 2009 has been one of the most energetic weeks I have ever seen with everyone's cooperation putting our plans into action was a success. It was a good week and I'm sure International Week for 2009 will go down in history. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all that were part of the International team and supported us throughout the whole year. Mr. McCarthy, Mrs. Lake, Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Wong. You guys have done an incredible job bringing success to our International year. The committee and all the International boys - you guys have also been magnificent in participating in many aspects of school life. Having you guys on side has made my leadership so much more effective. Now it is that time of the year where my work has come to an end, but this opportunity will live on forever in my heart and in the heart of the college.

"I know that I'm here in New Zealand, I play around with New Zealanders, I socialize with New Zealanders and I communicate with New Zealanders. But I've never forgotten about my home. Although I may not have had much experience in Thailand because I moved here at quite a young age, I would still love to go back and fully understand and also to express the cultural values I have for Thailand. With all respect to New Zealand, I've never regretted living here, it's been a life changing experience, the people I've met, the community I've become bonded to, especially Saint Thomas'. I can't ask for any more from you guys. Saint Thomas' has been everything to me as it's given me more than just an education but also a beautiful soul. Saint Thomas' has taught me to be a better person and to live my life to the full. So on behalf of my country Thailand, as the International Students' Leader of Saint Thomas' for 2009, it has been my privilege to look after the international boys and work with them throughout the year. It's the least I could do after what Saint Thomas' has done for me. On behalf of New Zealand I will return to Thailand to tell everyone about the best chapter in my life - 'My journey in Aotearoa'"

Our bond will never be broken, our hearts can never be replaced, each beautiful soul will live on to continue the legacy of diversity, within the Saint Thomas' community. I have done my part and it is now up to the future leaders to continue what I have started. It has been a privilege to be such a strong part of the school and I wish for the very best for the future years to come in all aspect of school life.

โชคดี สวัสดีครับ

(Chock-dee, Sa-wat-dee khrap)

Thank You and Farewell  

Peter Viteetarm         International Students Leader