Growing Up at Dulwich: An Interview with Student Leader Mink L

At Dulwich, we place a strong emphasis on developing our students as Worldwise leaders who can make a positive difference in the world. That’s why we create a wide variety of opportunities for our students to cultivate their leadership skills, experience, and confidence.

Mink L, Year 13 student at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), has been with the College from when it opened in 2005. Since his Early Years days, Mink has grown as a leader, taking on various roles including becoming Head Boy in 2019.

In the interview below, Mink shares the highlights of his leadership journey at Dulwich, how he feels he has developed, and how he hopes to continue applying these skills at university and beyond.

How would you describe your leadership journey at Dulwich?

For me, leadership began early on when I joined the Junior School Student Council. From there, I continued to do minor leadership roles such as Form Representative or House Year Leader. On top of that, I did a couple of one-off activities such as helping out during parent-teacher conferences. Together, these experiences allowed me to gain valuable interpersonal skills and improved my communication between my peers and teachers alike.

How did the Dulwich community play a role in shaping you into the leader you are today?

DCB has taught me the importance of leadership and respect. The school offers many platforms for students to take on leadership positions. I found myself looking up to the older students who had been involved with service within the school community. Looking up to fellow students displaying leadership, confidence and respect has helped me realise my own potential. A few of them also encouraged me to apply to leadership roles within extracurricular activities, which motivated me to aim for roles which would give me a larger platform to do service.

Furthermore, the teachers who have supported me along my journey have shown me that respect is not bound by age or status. Respect can be a mutual relationship formed between all people.

Why did you decide to apply to become Head Prefect?

Having been at the school for a long time, I felt I was in a position where I had been a part of all the changes. However, I wanted to be able to give my input on how the College could improve even further. I felt the role of Head Prefect was one in which I could put across my own ideas and help the student body voice their opinions. The Prefect Team can have an incredible impact on various aspects of how the school operates. To be able to oversee this meant I could control the quality of the changes in our community.

Overall, how do you feel you’ve been impacted by the leadership opportunities at Dulwich, and what are some key takeaways for the future?

The leadership opportunities made available to me have challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. Tasks that initially seemed daunting to me, such as public speaking or communicating with teachers, soon became enjoyable and important parts of my life. Some of my leadership roles have also greatly improved my problem-solving skills. Not everything can go completely right. As a leader, I had to find quick solutions to problems that arose - I’m sure this skill will come in handy in the future.

My time at DCB and the various leadership roles I took part in have helped me determine a leadership style that suits my personality. I hope to be able to develop this further in the future as well. I’ve learned that it is important not to see leadership as exclusively one style, but that everyone can be a leader, provided they find the right approach that suits them best.

We are so proud to see Mink develop into the confident, capable leader he is today. We can’t wait to see the positive impact he’ll make at university and beyond as he joins the doctors, CEOs, sustainability professionals and many more who are part of our Worldwise Alumni Network today.