Last month, students, parents, faculty and staff at The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) had a fabulous opportunity to listen to motivational speaker Chris Koch at an exclusive event in the Robert B. Gaw theatre at the Ampang Hilir campus. Chris brought his “If I Can” message to the audience as part of the YoungLeaders.World team.
Inspirational speaker Chris Koch
Chris Koch is a farmer, adventurer and inspirational speaker, who doesn’t let barriers get in his way. Instead, he views every challenge as an opportunity. Chris was born without arms and legs, yet described his childhood as ‘normal’. In a wide-ranging talk about what it takes to become a leader, he said the main barriers to success are not external ones, like a physical disability, but rather ones that come from within.
Koch said: “The times when I feel down have nothing to do with the fact that I have no arms or legs, they are what’s inside my head holding me back.” He continued, “Don’t worry about what you look like. Heck, if someone has a problem with how I look, that’s their problem, not mine.”
YoungLeaders.World from Canada
Along with Chris, ISKL welcomed Carla Cuglietta and Tyler Waye from YoungLeaders.World (YLW), a non-profit, Canadian-based organization that supports emerging generations in discovering life leadership aimed at personal growth and the collective good. Carla has won numerous awards for her humanitarian and youth leadership work around the world, while Tyler speaks to help young people find clarity and confidence in upcoming decisions about school and work.
ISKL’s Head of School, Mr Rami Madani, welcomed the inspirational team saying: “At ISKL, we place great importance on student agency and developing in students the leadership skills and mindset to become successful, spirited and socially responsible global citizens. We welcome the YoungLeaders.World team and their message of overcoming barriers to achieving that leadership mindset.”
The team delivered their inspirational message to ISKL students through keynote addresses to upper Elementary and Middle School students and facilitated interactive workshops with the Middle School and High School student leadership teams. By collaborating with students, the YLW team shared ideas as to how to help them overcome obstacles and develop a life leadership mindset through the connection between personal growth and collective good.
Leadership starts with gentle steps
Waye said: “The key to leadership is in having the confidence to pivot, to change your direction. If you’re on a particular path and it doesn’t align with where you want to be, a leader will change direction. Whether you’re a CEO or a student, it’s the same message.”
Cuglietta added: “In a gentle way you can shake the world. When something needs to change, you fix it. You can’t let the problem win. It starts with gentle steps…that’s where movement begins.”
There is so much going on at ISKL at any given time. To find out more, visit our website or follow us on Instagram. Click here for the event’s email.
About ISKL
Established in 1965, The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has become known as a center of excellence in the world of international education. ISKL is a co-educational, private, not-for-profit school responsible for the learning journey of over 1,700 students aged 3-18 years from more than 60 countries at its state-of-the-art campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
ISKL offers a robust international curriculum which combines leading North American educational frameworks with global best practice. The curriculum recognizes that students are on a lifelong learning journey and is driven by ISKL’s mission to challenge each student to “Be All You Are” and develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.
ISKL is the longest running IB World School in Malaysia and has been authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to provide the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) since 1989. In addition to the full IBDP, students also have the option of combining individual IB, Advanced Placement and High School Diploma courses to create a customized program tailored to their abilities, interests, and aspirations. The flexibility of ISKL’s academic program creates global opportunities; the graduating class of 2019 received more than 400 acceptances from over 200 universities in 14 countries spanning four continents.
ISKL is accredited internationally through the Council of International Schools (CIS), and in the United States through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). ISKL has a strong focus on service and sustainability across its divisions and is a member of the Eco-Schools organization and the Green Schools Alliance.
This post is written and sponsored by ISKL.
