jerry
CHAN

My Story

Growing up, Jerry has had a few experiences which help share the person he is today. When asked about his biggest mistake, he would cite arguing with his parents. At a young age, Jerry did not understand why his parents were mad at him when he refused to clean others’ plates after he had done his own part. He knew that he was responsible for cleaning up his own mess; similarly, others should also be responsible for their own mess. However, after barrages of complaints and reasoning with his parents, he learned that not everything in life is about himself. His parents cooked the food, but that does not mean they are the only one allowed to eat it. Jerry reflected and knew he was in the wrong for being selfish and careless of others, especially to his dearest family members. In terms of his favorite growing up story, Jerry would pick the tale of the Monkey King through Journey to the West. This was the story that Jerry’s grandpa used to share with him at night. It was about this incredible monkey that had fascinating abilities to shape-shift and fight with his entrusted golden bat. Protecting his master as they headed on their pilgrimage was his main goal. The story had inspired Jerry in many ways: staying patient, being brave and keeping humble are such lessons he learned.

Realizing the necessity to develop leadership skills in and out of school to better prepare himself for his future, Jerry is focused on a wide spectrum of opportunities. Academically, he is devoting his time to enriching his knowledge in chemistry, economics and mathematics, and he would compete in both national and international competitions for the latter. Specifically, he started training and participating in math competitions since 2023, and has since won distinction in AMC 10, gold in UKMT SMC proceeding to BMO 1 which he gained distinction. After that, he gained merit on BMO 2, and in 2024, he participated in the HMO, SMC and SASMO where he received distinction for HMO and gold for the latter two. 

Outside of academics, he is proficient across various sports. For swimming, when he was ten years old, he was sitting in assembly listening to the experiences of his seniors sharing their adventure in Thailand. he was intrigued, and thus proceeded to practice swimming to get into the competitions. Unfortunately, in the year of competition, COVID struck. He was gravely disappointed, and stopped swimming; however, his mom continued to encourage him to swim as she thought that it would keep him fit and strong. After a year, he won a medal in a swim-meet for his efforts. For water polo, he first became part of the waterpolo team as he did not want his swimming practice to be one-dimensional. However, after a few attempts, he started enjoying it and found the joy of this majestic sport. For basketball, he commenced during the lockdown and is still practicing it. He enjoys this sport for the camaraderie building and it is a big part of his character. In addition to sports, he wanted to gain some leadership skills, and thanks to a bet he made with his friend, he applied for the role of house captain. They competed to see who could get the role even though they were in different houses. In the end, they both bought each other a can of drink as they were both successful in their nominations. Other activities that keep Jerry entertained are debate, piano where he received ABRSM Piano Grade 8 and Grade 5 Music Theory accreditations along with Chinese painting, where he entered a national Level 10 examination with a bird-and-flower Chinese painting and received an honor.  

Looking ahead, Jerry understands that the world is at a tipping point, with many local and regional issues impacting long-term sustainable health and development for both people and the planet. While he is still debating which major or career path to choose, he is resolute that he builds a life where he can leave a legacy for a brighter generation ahead.