Read on to explore what happens when dreams meet passion:

Many of us romanticised during childhood about our professional lives as adults, when perhaps it seemed the world would be our oyster. We bet your current career is the thing that you have never thought you would do or end up with. In this case, Shalini considers herself lucky as she became what she dreamt to be.

She always wanted to be an educator since young. At this point, she could still reminisce the moments when she taught her friends in kindergarten and the scenes which she was on cloud nine role playing as a teacher at home. This is her open secret and yet, the passion of becoming an educator has been pounding with her heart and remained alive in her soul throughout the years.

With the passion firmly embedded in mind, she got her feet wet in the education field pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Education (TESL). And that’s how she landed as an Assistant Principal at ILTI and got her childhood dream fulfilled!

Being an assistant principal has taught her a lot about leadership as she evolves and elevates together with ILTI. Ranging from teaching, choosing interesting and suitable books for her students, providing good customer service to leading all the staff and teachers, she has learnt much along the way with the guidance from her higher-ups.

No doubt, she has been granted a plethora of opportunities to unleash her potential and explore new possibilities in herself. Never in the wildest dreams of ILTI’s biggest function of the year- the Cambridge Certificate Presentation Ceremony which happens annually. Shalini said, “I did not know that I could create a better learning environment for my students with the cooperation from several parties. Yet, what makes me the happiest goes to improving together with my students.”

She would never forget the intoxicating feeling of success and the happiness felt when a slow learner who had zero knowledge in English language managed to ace in his examination. She loves seeing her students smiling and enjoying their lessons at ILTI. “My heart melts when they bid hello and goodbye to me each time. They are just sweet and precious!”- she said.

She also shares that as educators, they don’t just share their knowledge, but also instill good moral values in students and make better citizens for the world. “We build bridges to them, not barriers and eventually mould them into better individuals.” – said Shalini.

She then added, “I guess it all starts with passion and I really enjoy every bit of my job as an Assistant Principal. I am grateful for the early experiences that make me the person I am today and I thank God for every fibre of my being.”