Darrell Pui

A believer in the power of youths to catalyse social change, Darrell is a 17 year old residing in Singapore and a member of Dear Asian Youth Singapore. He believes that empathy is an essential component of systems change, and aims to, through combining his skills in persuasive speaking, leadership and interdisciplinary thinking, drive action towards youth activism and representation in global policymaking.  

It seems like only yesterday when 10 year old Darrell got invited to join his primary school’s debate club. Puzzled and confused, he brought the slip back home and under his mom’s instructions, brought it back to the teacher with it signed. It has been 7 years since then, and Darrell’s passion for debate has only grown, and his ability to think critically has flourished. This time in primary school may seem insignificant to many, but to him, this short 1 week incident was a symbol to always grasp opportunities that presented themselves and to never be afraid to try new things. Debate to his 10 year old self was a meaningless engagement of politicians on T.V, yet it currently holds a special place in his heart, being a mind sport that challenges him to think bravely and act steadfastly. Perhaps that was why the ethos of always trying new things and accepting challenges has stuck with Darrell, and probably will for the rest of his life.

Currently, Darrell is part of the Humanities Programme in his school, and is taking external AP Psych classes to broaden his view of the world through an interdisciplinary lens. He has deepened his passion for debate by joining the National Debate Team of Singapore, participating in and winning various championships internationally. On the side, Darrell also enjoys reading academic law journals to gain new insights, and is taking up various law-related projects such as joining essay competitions and starting his own research paper on analysing tort law through a jurisprudential lens.

The community and how it has helped him achieve his goals is something that Darrell is extremely grateful for. Hence, he actively participates in helping out the community, be it through leading his student-led project, Project Halcyon, which helps underprivileged and disadvantaged have holistic growth opportunities, or joining Dear Asian Youth’s Singapore Chapter as an events member and raising awareness for various youth issues like mental health or feminism. Honing his leadership abilities was also a key consideration in his school life, which was what propelled Darrell to be in his school’s student council, organising school wide events like Orientation and Graduation Prom for his own outgoing batch.

In the future, Darrell hopes to advocate for youth activism and to ensure that the Earth would be a sustainable place for the next generation. He envisions himself studying law in order to grasp the legal frameworks that are need to push for paradigm shifts in society