Seeking Purpose, Jonathan’s Award Story

Jonathan is an Award participant and American Delegate from Pennsylvania who joined in the exciting Passion to Purpose (P2P) Forum in Summer 2022.  

 Meet Jonathan 

I am Jonathan Sim from Pennsylvania, USA. I attended the Passion to Purpose 2022 Leadership Forum in Toronto, Canada. I have completed the Bronze level for the Award and am working on completing the Silver level. I participate in the Award through a local organization called the Philadelphia Outward Bound School. Additionally, I was one of five Award participants who received the Infinite Potential Commendation by Award USA in 2022. 

Tomorrow’s Future  

When reflecting on the countless memories and experiences I gained from Passion to Purpose, the simple ability to express newborn ideas and thoughts, with the reassurance from the speakers, staff, and my group members that there was no wrong answer, enabled me to become not only a better listener but also a better speaker. I believe this unique quality serves as the foundation of what the forum intends to accomplish by fostering those ideas and thoughts that may have initially died in silence; consequently, they will emerge and blossom into the next big thing – becoming the stepping stone for tomorrow’s future. 

Gaining Skills for the Future 

An integral part of P2P was the speakers, which also tied close to general knowledge shared by individuals. Each taught me a skill I could put in my toolbox and carry for future use. One skill I quickly associated with was networking and the subset of forms that follow it. From learning to keep your right hand free to the 50/70 rule, the techniques I learned about leadership, confidence, and public speaking were used only hours later on the same day. This prime example of an unexpected benefit stressed the importance of gaining skills that will be helpful in the future. 

Building Relationships  

As a native of the United States, my preliminary thoughts as I took my first steps into Canada were how I would fit into the crowd of unfamiliarity, from new cultures to faces to traditions. Fortunately, these thoughts quickly became meaningless as my first interaction at P2P consisted of being introduced to the friendliness of a peer who assisted me when I was lost on campus minutes after arriving. As the week progressed, I found myself connecting with individuals from various backgrounds and being able to engage in rich conversations. My initial encounter with that peer sparked my realization that P2P capitalizes on the importance of relationship building by emphasizing the creation of a network in which a wealth of lifelong connections will be established. 

Team Building 

Throughout the forum, I could seemingly connect with almost every young person, which was made possible through the speakers organizing workshops that kept the environment changing. While the interactions may have been brief, it was ultimately synthesized through establishing teamwork. As a result, regardless of the task, I felt confident with the individuals I was surrounded with. Additionally, I felt a strong bond between my group members as we progressed through the development of our project, which can be accredited to effective communication and teamwork. 

Discovering My Passion 

My group members and I collaborated at the Forum to develop an idea out of problems stemming from the Food & Health sector. Our project was called Health and Wellbeing Day Camp, which targets children (ages ~10-14) of low socioeconomic background. The starting point was Bonnyville, Alberta, the hometown of one of the group members. Essentially, it is a one-day program during the summer, which will begin with a presentation that covers healthy meal preparation on a budget as well as how to maintain a strong and active lifestyle/mental health. Next is an interactive cooking course, followed by a large soccer game to keep everyone active. Lastly, each child will leave with a care package, which will include snacks and a resource booklet from the session. A notable statistic that was discovered upon preliminary research included how students receive <8 hours of required nutrition education each school year, far below the 40 to 50 hours needed to affect behavior change (CDC). Our project aimed to cover SDGs 2, 3, and 4, which are provide opportunities for improved food security and nutrition, interrupting the chain reaction of misery associated with malnutrition, and teaching the next generation life skills not traditionally touched on in academic curricula, respectively. 

Why you would encourage someone to apply for Passion to Purpose 

I always anticipated hesitation and lack of confidence when deciding to participate in events such as the forum, but P2P was a perfect balance that enabled me to step out of my comfort zone and delve into a world full of opportunities. Each day the forum brought something new to experience and learn, an opportunity I would not hesitate to apply for. 

Meeting changemakers as passionate as I was seeking a purpose has allowed me to call the young people, I have met at the forum a family – one with great potential to push forward advances that will one day make a difference in the world.” 

• Jonathan Sim  

Share this...