🌱 My First YSSI Orientation: A Conversation Beyond the Classroom

On 29th August 2026, I had my first orientation with members of the Youth Support Supervision Initiative (YSSI), and honestly, it was an experience I will always remember.

I went into the session knowing that I wanted to introduce the members to YSSI, explain our purpose, and help them understand what we hope to achieve together. But as the conversation progressed, I realized that the orientation was not just about me teaching them. It was also about listening, learning, and understanding their experiences and concerns.

One of the biggest conversations was about life after campus.

The young people asked questions that went far beyond academics. They wanted to know what really happens when you leave the classroom and enter the outside world.

How do you deal with uncertainty?

How do you handle life when things don't happen as quickly as you expected?

How do you build yourself beyond your academic qualifications?

How do you navigate relationships, work, finances, personal growth, failure, and the pressure that comes with being a young adult?

These questions reminded me why YSSI is important.

I also shared something very honestly with them: I don't have all the answers.

I am not standing before them as someone who has figured out life completely. I am also learning. I am also experiencing the challenges of adulthood, work, personal development, and discovering how the world outside campus really works.

And I believe that honesty is important.

Sometimes young people need someone who doesn't pretend to have a perfect life. They need someone who can say, “I don't know everything, but let's learn together.”

That is the kind of space I want YSSI to create.

A space where young people can ask questions without feeling judged. A space where we can talk about the realities that are rarely discussed in classrooms. A space where education is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of discovering who we are and what we can contribute to the world.

The interaction during our first orientation gave me hope. Their questions showed me that young people are thinking deeply about their futures. They want guidance, but they also want a safe space to express their fears, hopes, confusion, and dreams.

Our journey is only beginning.

YSSI is not about creating a generation that has everything figured out. It is about creating a generation that is willing to learn, grow, support one another, and think beyond academics.

As the founder, I am also a learner on this journey.

And I am excited to see where we go together. 🌍💙

This is YSSI — supporting young people to think beyond academics and prepare for the realities of life beyond the classroom.

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