Guided Autobiography III: Reflections, Self-Exploratory Journey and Purposeful Way Forward
19 March
Over the span of ten weeks from mid-January to end March 2024, a group of ten alumni gathered weekly in a classroom at NUS College (NUSC).
Guided by Professor Philip Holden and co-facilitator Bianca Tham (Arts and Social Sciences + USP ’17), we embarked on a self-exploratory journey through the Guided Autobiography (GAB) class. GAB is a practice that helps participants reflect on and re-story their lives in a supportive environment. Each week, participants delved into themed writing exercises by drawing upon memories or past experiences, and subsequently sharing their stories with the group.
Started in 2022, this was the third run of the GAB class organised by NUSC, which is open to alumni participants from NUSC, the University Scholars Programme (USP), and Yale-NUS.
Initially drawn to GAB with the intention to reflect, process my past and gain perspective into my life, I found myself enriched beyond measure by the ten-week class. Themes such as “major branching points in life”, “family”, “life’s work”, “health and well-being”, “gender identity”, “navigating differences” and “death and dying”, led me to explore a different window in my past each passing week. The reading aloud of stories was unexpectedly therapeutic and cathartic. Listening to the stories shared by the group also provided me a window into their life, fostering a deeper appreciation of the diverse journeys of others. Often, the class was filled with joy and laughter, sometimes grief and tears, but mostly it was a strong and trusted circle of support, affirmation, appreciation and connectedness.
I am grateful to NUSC and the Alumni Relations team for organising the class, and most of all, to Prof Holden and Bianca for volunteering their time; skillfully and thoughtfully bringing the group of alumni together; enabling us to review our life; rediscover our strengths; reaffirm our values and chart a purposeful way forward. Indeed, GAB was a transformative journey for us, in the full alumni spirit of continuous learning and growth, no less!
Submitted by Yvonne Ng (Science + USP '05)