More Than Medals: A Student’s Journey Through Competitions

More Than Medals: A Student’s Journey Through Competitions

By: Rajamin Juan Theodorus Samosir (Gr 11 St. Ernest student), Enzo Dariya (7C student)

What does it really mean to win?

For many, competitions are about medals, trophies, and recognition. But behind every award is a deeper story one of perseverance, growth, and quiet determination. For students, competitions are not just about standing on the podium, but about discovering who they are in the process.

Throughout the years, I’ve joined very many competitions, all ranging from piano (Piano Nusantara, APCS, INPF), mathematics (AMO, SMC), physics (IPhyC), coding (IKCC), and many more. I’ve experienced winning medals, trophies, and achievements. I’ve also gone through many defeats, disappointments, and losses. That being said, I cherish all these experiences equally. 

While it may sound clichè, the most valuable thing I take from the competitions I join are not the awards, but rather the experiences and lessons that I learn in the process. Awards represent the ability and result from the hard work, but the aspect of most value is the insight one receives from the pressure, time management, and learning process in the competition.

In my earlier days, I’d join competitions because my parents would make me. I had thought that they wanted me to achieve awards and prizes. But as the years went by, they explained to me that they urged me to join for myself, to develop my own character. To build perseverance, strength, and moreover trust in God that He will help and be with me through all the trials of life. I became keen on joining competitions every year just to add to my experiences, to challenge and teach myself, to train myself in tackling the obstacles that I would have to face.

At the end of the day, I join competitions, not to win, but to train myself to endure, persevere, and continue trying, even when it’s difficult and tiring. To stop complaining and to start doing. To know that everything is in God’s hands.

So in the instances that I do win, I give all glory, praise, and honor to God alone.

Joining competitions has been one of my favourite things at Stella Maris. Stella Maris provides me with competition opportunities as well as training for them which i find extremely helpful. As for the competitions, I find that they’re a good way to explore topics out of school and test my abilities. An example of one of the competitions I went to was the Singapore Math Challenge.  This was my first competition here at Stella Maris so I was unfamiliar with the process. Thankfully my teachers guided me through the training and I ended up getting silver. I thought I wouldn’t even get a medal when I got out of the competition room, but thankfully I was wrong.

Overall I believe that competitions are great for experience and a great way to. I hope more people can step out of their comfort zone and join some competitions!

In the end, competitions are not just about winning they are about becoming. They shape resilience, build discipline, and strengthen character. They teach us how to rise after failure and stay grounded in success.

For anyone who has ever hesitated to join a competition, this is your sign: step out of your comfort zone. You may not always win a medal, but you will always gain something far more valuable the experience to grow, the courage to try, and the strength to keep going.