De Souza Leslie Ethan (20A05)

When De Souza Leslie Ethan enrolled in Jurong Pioneer Junior College (JPJC), he took one of the biggest leaps he had ever taken, in his entire life – he decided to pursue something vastly different from what he had taken in secondary school. Coming from a Triple Science stream with no English Literature background in his upper secondary years, Leslie took the plunge and chose the Arts stream in JPJC, taking Literature in English, History and Economics. As Leslie recalls with a laugh, “My secondary school classmates all wanted to pursue the Sciences. Some even took H3 Biology or Physics. When they knew I chose the Arts stream, they probably thought I was making a bad decision.” That ‘bad decision’ turned out to be one that he did not regret. In fact, “it was one of the best leaps of faith” he had ever taken.

For someone who had just professed how little background he had in the Arts, Leslie was amazingly commendable in his showing throughout his junior college (JC) years. He often scored As for his Literature essays. When queried about his excellent performance despite his initial concerns, Leslie demurred, “While I have always been interested in English Literature, I was nervous about taking the subject in JC since I did not take it at upper secondary level. I was worried about not being able to keep up with most of the others who had taken the subject at the O Level, but I was really fortunate to have had the guidance of my subject tutor Mr Sunil. I think that made the difference; that brought home the goal for me.” Leslie shared, with his gratitude shining clear in his eyes, how his Literature in English tutor Mr Sunil Ebenezer Sutherson taught with a clear and concise style that enabled him to follow lessons easily. “In lessons, we did not only have the chance to discuss ideas, themes and issues, we also reviewed each other’s work and brought the texts and characters to life by acting them out,” Leslie said with excitement in his voice. “Mr Sunil brought Literature to life because he would even use mundane everyday objects as props to bring our texts to life,” Leslie added fondly, as he reminisced about his Literature journey in JPJC. His decision to take up the Arts – especially Literature – was something that he did not regret as it enabled him to immerse himself in the literary works, while exploring these worlds on a critical and detailed level, deepening his interest in the subject and broadening his worldview with rich perspectives and insights.

Naturally, Leslie’s burning desire to learn and his effervescent personality also played a crucial role in his quick progress and strong achievements. His energy was always palpable, and this helped to enthuse both his teachers and classmates further. “Leslie was highly participative in the Literature classroom and he could translate his interesting ideas into coherent and perceptive writing. He could quickly pick up on the nuances of the literary texts, and the most important element here, was that he was undeterred in sharing his insight with others,” said Mr Sunil. “He was really, just alight with the desire to engage in an exchange of visions and ideas – truly an amazing boy to teach.” Alight he was, with the desire to learn and give, Leslie was selected to represent the college at the Pre-University Seminar and the Literature Symposium, both organised by the Ministry of Education. At the Literature Symposium, he presented his paper and shared his moving, refreshing interpretation of a Literature text, ‘Regeneration’ by Pat Barker. “Oh, it was fantastic. I was really moved, and I was really excited – to be able to hear from experts in the field, and exchange ideas with like- minded students. It felt like it was an intellectual awakening, a revolution in my mind!” Leslie quipped with a laugh. Indeed, his passion for the subject was so profound.

Apart from being an exemplary student, Leslie was also deeply invested in raising others up. He walked the talk, and demonstrated the importance of caring for others by regularly looking out for his peers. “Leslie was a bright spark in class who was always willing to help others,” recalled his Civics Tutor, Mdm Shalwa binte Mohamed Taib. “As a Peer Supporter, without his Civics Tutors even asking, Leslie would check on his classmates to see if they were coping well, and even helped them when they needed his help to clarify concepts across different subjects.” His care for others also transcended the classroom as he volunteered to serve as an Orientation Group Leader (OGL) during the college’s Matriculation and Orientation in 2021 to help his juniors ease into JC life more smoothly. As Leslie reflected, “I think coming to JC was such a huge transition and the pandemic made it more challenging – so I think my juniors would feel so much stronger, so much more ready to face this new world – if their seniors were to walk this path with them. That’s what I had hoped to give to my juniors, this optimism, this strength, you know?” Leslie reflected. “It was an immense opportunity to be able to lead and develop others, and I felt like I should give back in return, something that was priceless and could not be taken away.”

Leslie’s foray into the Arts did not stop at Literature in the classroom. In the brave new world that he had envisioned for himself in JC, the feisty young man joined the JP Dance Club despite not having any prior experience or formal training in dance. “I was in the Boys Brigade in secondary school, but again, I decided I wanted to try something I had never tried before,” Leslie recalls. Leslie attended the dance auditions but was sure that he would not be selected. Yet, before he knew it, in the blink of an eye, Leslie was not only selected to join the Club – he was later elected as the Vice-President as well. One of Leslie’s crowning achievements was attaining a distinction at the Singapore Youth Festival with his fellow Club members. Preparing for the Singapore Youth Festival during the pandemic was not easy due to Safe Management Measures, which affected the way Co-curricular Activities (CCA) were conducted. CCA sessions were held online, so Leslie and his team of Executive Committee members had to improvise by practising on their own via the online sessions and only meeting for a few practices as a group when the measures were relaxed. “It was difficult to build camaraderie within the club given the challenges, and even more difficult to perfect our performances, but we did it because we worked as a team! That is something I am proud of, in fact, it was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Leslie shared.

Indeed, it was not all roses for Leslie during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being the only child in the family, the periods of isolation posed a great challenge for Leslie. “I preferred being in the classroom by a really long shot. Sitting in front of the screen and not being able to interact in person with others was not easy for me,” Leslie shared in a heartfelt admission. “Moreover, I was feeling really anxious about the future and the uncertainty that the pandemic brought with it. The anxiety of trying to keep my discipline and morale up while also being particularly careful about where I went did cause a deterioration in my emotional health over the two years. I thus became quite irritable and stressed when studying,” he reflected. Serendipitously, Leslie’s refuge and strength in those difficult periods came from the Arts and Literature. His favourite quote from Hamlet by William Shakespeare was particularly insightful to him, comforting and inspiring him to look beyond his current circumstances and to keep going. “There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow…the readiness is all – this statement in Hamlet taught me that every event is under the hand of fate, we can prepare to face the future with determination and resilience rather than refusing to meet what may come,” Leslie said sharing his insights. “I like this quote as it is largely relevant in all stages of life; regardless of our circumstances, we can certainly choose our attitude when dealing with challenges,” he added.

Leslie also credits all his teachers for helping him overcome his anxieties. He recounted how his teachers would patiently lend him a listening ear whenever he needed it. “They were all very open, approachable and made time to listen to me share my thoughts and worries – each and every single one of my tutors in JPJC. They really helped me quell my worries and changed my perspectives about what I should be focusing on, which was what I had control over and not what was beyond my control,” Leslie said.

It thus came as no surprise that when Leslie was asked about his goals for the future, he decisively said that he wanted to pursue the Arts and Humanities in university, and become a teacher in future. “My teachers in JC solidified my decision to pursue teaching as a career, as their steadfast commitment to providing an optimal learning experience for students even during the chaotic circumstances of the past two years really touched me,” Leslie said with a smile. “One of my ambitions in life is to guide and inspire others in the same way I was guided during my time in school.”

Indeed, for Leslie, what a leap of courage, growth and change it was back then – a leap that changed, enriched and bolstered his life for the many more adventures and opportunities that will come his way in future.