When Dreams come True! ( Part 1)

In 2001,I had just entered university (USM-Penang) and Coming from a very Science oriented family, their top courses of choice ( for me) were:
1. Medicine
2. Anything related to Biology
3. It MUST be SCIENCE!!!!

I ended up doing Biotechnology ( why.........why.....whY!!!) Actually it wasnt bad, in fact it was rather interesting, studying about microbs, bacterias, genetics, fermentation.... and the list goes. I really had a great time in class... and most of all i had great coursemates...However, fortunately one friday in my third week of university i met AIESEC.

I've been with AIESEC for 5 years now. In 2001, i got to AIESEC through a bunch of seniors who kept talking about "eye-zack".They talked about stuff i never knew or had heard about.... they talked terms that were alien to me... I heard management, i heard commerce, i heard economics..... i heard my head say "Run Anisha...RUN!!!!"

However, due to some unforseen circumstances ( which i do not wish to disclose) I took a pen that was on the table and quietly wrote down my name, e-mail and number. And that was it! Ever since, there has not been a single day without AIESEC in my life..

Feeling rather sceptical, i went for "Malam Mesra" the feeling was different, even though the room was filled with people i didnt know - except for a few friends of mine who joined together with me, I somehow rather felt quite at ease. The evening started with a dance by the same seniors who talked to us at the booth the other day. What amazed me was, the fact that everyone regardless of the personality,race, sex, size.....whatever laa... but they gave me the impresion of unity in diversity... and that was something that really attracted... Okay okay... besides the fact that i love dancing too...:P

Anyway Malam mesra went and I kept going for the weekly sessions.... I remember that i use to wait for the end of the session, just to able to learn and do the dances with everyone! Hehe.. But besides that, it was quite tensed for me, because the content of the weekly meetings were still alien to me. Or maybe it was because i couldnt find my relevance in this organisation??? Anyway i tried to push my doubts and uncertainities to one side, cuz someone wise ones told me" Never judge @ from just one or 2 weekly sessions.... but stay for a semester, and then if you wanna leave.... then leave!"-Lim Chuang Yik 2001/2002

And that's what i did! I stayed on, and attended the local leadership development seminar ( LLDS) in teluk bahang.... it was the last chance i was giving AIESEC, if i still felt the way i was feeling, then I'd leave!

LLDS came and of course as any of other @ USM events, I had a great time. The meaning of family so apparent here... Anyways LLDS changed my life forever, and I owe everything i am today this simple but yet life changing experience conference. I still remember, i was part of a group and we called ourselves "The KungFu Fighters" My group mama was Reese and my father eloped with another girl.. Hehe...

Personal and professional development sessions and activities were held through out the seminar but something i was really attracted to was the Exchange simulations that they organised for us. Before LLDS, i had no idea what was happening in the weekly meetings but suddenly it all came to me... And it was just after the Exchange simulation that i finally found something i that could do...something that was really different from my past experiences/interest but yet something that I really wanted to challenge myself by.... And ever since that simulation, i've always found myself more and more drawn to things like marketing, sales, leadership and so on... I remember i used to reherse and practice my "sales pitch" before every appointment, and bug Jon a.k.a Sotong if i had any questions or if i thought of possible questions from the company representatives that i may not be able to answer during my meets-selling ITEP! I really prepared myself for every appointment because i had my pride, i had my ego... and i didnt want to be "pai seh-ed" in front of some CEO or something...

And with that, I became more and more involved with AIESEC....