By Freddie Lough
Each year Robogals holds an annual seminar inducting new executives (SINE) in the respective regions, APAC, NA or EMEA, inducting new executives into the team and celebrating the achievements of chapters around the world. The 2021 APAC SINE was held virtually on the 24th of September and over the two days, attendees met other volunteers, were inspired by previous alumni and used the information to plan for the future.
To conclude the conference, the Legend of Robogals Award is announced to shine a spotlight on an individual who has made a huge impact on the community.
Chloe Thai, outgoing President of Robogals Melbourne, was described by her nominator as a “ray of sunshine in the midst of a storm”. As Melbourne entered their second lockdown last year, Robogals weren’t able to run workshops in classrooms face-to-face anymore.
However, Chloe realized the potential of online workshops in reaching out to schools in and outside Melbourne.
Through partnerships with other organisations and work within Robogals Melbourne, Chloe led the chapter to reach more than 650 students across Victoria!
During her time as President, workshops were run virtually and travel distance to workshops became irrelevant. There was no limit on the radius of schools locations and this opened up the possibility to continue to run workshops virtually in the future.
Through all this, Chloe was proud of her team’s ability to thrive despite change: “I am most proud of how my team and I were able to navigate prolonged lockdowns and implement new and innovative ideas despite all the uncertainties and ups and downs we went through.”
Robogals APAC SINE Day 2
When lockdown lifted, Chloe charted a course that ensured the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of volunteers while returning to in person school visits.
Cindy Liu is the successor to Chloe, taking over as President of Robogals Melbourne in late 2021. She shared that “Chloe was [her] steady rock while [she] was busy finding [her] footing during those initial months, and continued to be [her] biggest form of support.”
Ella Crowley, the current Secretary, stated that “[Chloe] made sure to set aside time… to catch up with every member of the committee… [and talk to them about how] she can help them get more out of their time at Robogals. She is one of those rare and special leaders who… lead by not standing in front and commanding the team, but by being within our midst at every moment.”
Robogals is proud to call Chloe our 2021 Legend of Robogals, and is more than excited that she is continuing with us as the new Robogals APAC Chapter Support Director.
The next SINE conference, held in the EMEA region, will take place in February 2022.
